Systems and methods for creating custom actions

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer readable storage media for interacting with one or more data objects in an online social network. A user interface includes a publisher with a custom action. The custom action is defined in accordance with custom action instructions provided by a first entity via an application programming interface (API). Such custom action instructions may declaratively or programmatically define the data object, the interaction to be performed with the data object, and other attributes associated with the custom action. A user may request to interact with the data object via selection of the custom action by a second entity. Information may be submitted through the publisher to interact with the data object to update a database system associated with the data object. A feed item may be presented for inclusion in the information feed based on the update.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material,which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever

PRIORITY AND RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This patent document claims priority to co-pending and commonly assignedU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/943,636 titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODSFOR CREATING CUSTOM ACTIONS,” by Beechuk et al., filed Jul. 16, 2013,which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/852,089, titled “Multi-Dimensional Publisher” by Beechuk et al.,filed on Mar. 15, 2013. The entire disclosures of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/943,636 and U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/852,089 are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent document relates generally to providing on-demand servicesin an online social network using a database system and, morespecifically, to techniques for interacting with records andapplications from a publisher in an online social network.

BACKGROUND

“Cloud computing” services provide shared resources, software, andinformation to computers and other devices upon request. In cloudcomputing environments, software can be accessible over the Internetrather than installed locally on in-house computer systems. Cloudcomputing typically involves over-the-Internet provision of dynamicallyscalable and often virtualized resources. Technological details can beabstracted from the users, who no longer have need for expertise in, orcontrol over, the technology infrastructure “in the cloud” that supportsthem.

Database resources can be provided in a cloud computing context.However, using conventional database management techniques, it isdifficult to know about the activity of other users of a database systemin the cloud or other network. For example, the actions of a particularuser, such as a salesperson, on a database resource may be important tothe user's boss. The user can create a report about what the user hasdone and send it to the boss, but such reports may be inefficient, nottimely, and incomplete. Also, it may be difficult to identify otherusers who might benefit from the information in the report.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The included drawings are for illustrative purposes and serve only toprovide examples of possible structures and operations for the disclosedinventive systems, apparatus, and methods for interacting with one ormore records in a single user interface in an online social network.These drawings in no way limit any changes in form and detail that maybe made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit andscope of the disclosed implementations.

FIG. 1A shows a block diagram of an example of an environment 10 inwhich an on-demand database service can be used in accordance with someimplementations.

FIG. 1B shows a block diagram of an example of some implementations ofelements of FIG. 1A and various possible interconnections between theseelements.

FIG. 2A shows a system diagram illustrating an example of architecturalcomponents of an on-demand database service environment 200 according tosome implementations.

FIG. 2B shows a system diagram further illustrating an example ofarchitectural components of an on-demand database service environmentaccording to some implementations.

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 300 for trackingupdates to a record stored in a database system, performed in accordancewith some implementations.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of an example of components of a databasesystem configuration 400 performing a method for tracking an update to arecord according to some implementations.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 500 for trackingactions of a user of a database system, performed in accordance withsome implementations.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 600 for creating anews feed from messages created by a user about a record or anotheruser, performed in accordance with some implementations.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a group feed on a group page according tosome implementations.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a record feed containing a feed trackedupdate, post, and comments according to some implementations.

FIG. 9A shows an example of a plurality of tables that may be used intracking events and creating feeds according to some implementations.

FIG. 9B shows a flowchart of an example of a method 900 forautomatically subscribing a user to an object in a database system,performed in accordance with some implementations.

FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 1000 for savinginformation to feed tracking tables, performed in accordance with someimplementations.

FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 1100 for reading afeed item as part of generating a feed for display, performed inaccordance with some implementations.

FIG. 12 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 1200 for reading afeed item of a profile feed for display, performed in accordance withsome implementations.

FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 1300 of storingevent information for efficient generation of feed items to display in afeed, performed in accordance with some implementations.

FIG. 14 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 1400 for creating acustom feed for users of a database system using filtering criteria,performed in accordance with some implementations.

FIG. 15 shows a flowchart of an example of a computer implemented method1500 for interacting with one or more records from a single userinterface in an online social network, performed in accordance with someimplementations.

FIG. 16 shows a flowchart of an example of a computer implemented method1600 for interacting with one or more records from a single userinterface in an online social network, performed in accordance with someimplementations.

FIG. 17 shows a flowchart of an example of a computer implemented method1700 for interacting with one or more data objects from a publisherconfigured to publish information to an information feed of an onlinesocial network, performed in accordance with some implementations.

FIG. 18 shows a flowchart of an example of a computer implemented method1800 for interacting with an application using a publisher in an onlinesocial network, performed in accordance with some implementations.

FIG. 19 shows an example of a record with a user interface including apublisher and an information feed, according to some implementations.

FIG. 20 shows an example of a publisher, according to someimplementations.

FIGS. 21A-21D show an example of a user interface with a publisher andan information feed for mobile device applications, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 22 shows an example of a feed item, according to someimplementations.

FIGS. 23A-23B show an example of a user interface with a publisher and afeed item in an information feed for mobile device applications,according to some implementations.

FIG. 24 shows an example of a record with a user interface including apublisher and an information feed, according to some implementations.

FIG. 25 shows an example of the record in FIG. 24 with a user interfacedisplaying a plurality of empty data fields upon selection of apublisher action, according to some implementations.

FIG. 26 shows an example of the record in FIG. 25 with a user interfacedisplaying a plurality of filled data fields upon receiving user input,according to some implementations.

FIG. 27 shows an example of the record in FIG. 26 with a user interfaceincluding the information feed with a feed item presenting updated datafrom a publisher and a link to a child record, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 28 shows an example of a record with a user interface including apublisher, a custom action, and an information feed, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 29 shows an example of a converted record of the record in FIG. 28,with a user interface including a publisher, a custom action, and aninformation feed, according to some implementations.

FIG. 30 shows an example of a child record of the converted record inFIG. 29, with a user interface including a publisher, a custom action,and an information feed, according to some implementations.

FIG. 31 shows an example of a record with a user interface displaying afeed item in an information feed of a parent record, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 32A shows an example of a record with a user interface displayingthe information feed for an account page, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 32B shows an example of a record with a user interface displayingthe record details for the account page in FIG. 32A, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 32C shows an example of a record with a user interface displayingthe record relationship information for the account page in FIG. 32A,according to some implementations.

FIG. 33A shows an example of a contacts record with a record feedincluding a feed item presenting updated data from a publisher,according to some implementations.

FIG. 33B shows an example of a user profile with a news feed including afeed item cross-referenced from the feed item in FIG. 33A with a link tothe contacts record, according to some implementations.

FIG. 33C shows an example of another user profile with a news feedincluding a feed item cross-referenced from the feed item in FIG. 33Awith a link to the contacts record, according to some implementations.

FIG. 34 shows an example of a user interface of a database serviceconfigured for users to create a custom action, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 35 shows an example of a user interface including a publisherconfigured for users to create a custom action from the publisher,according to some implementations.

FIG. 36 shows an example of a user interface including a custom actiondefinition area for creating the custom action, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 37A shows an example of a user interface for an action layouteditor displaying data fields associated with a custom action, accordingto some implementations.

FIG. 37B shows an example of the user interface for the action layouteditor in FIG. 37A displaying an addition of a data field associatedwith the custom action, according to some implementations.

FIG. 38A shows an example of a window previewing the display of datafields associated with a custom action, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 38B shows an example of a window previewing the display of datafields associated with a custom action, according to otherimplementations.

FIG. 39 shows an example of a user interface for a page layout editordisplaying publisher actions associated with a record, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 40 shows an example of a user interface displaying details, pagelayouts, and predefined field values associated with a custom action,according to some implementations.

FIG. 41 shows an example of a user interface for editing or adding thepredefined field values associated with a custom action, according tosome implementations.

FIG. 42 shows an example of a user interface of a database serviceconfigured for users to create a global action, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 43 shows an example of a user interface including a plurality ofparameters for creating the global action, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 44 shows an example of a user interface for a page layout editordisplaying publisher actions associated with an on-demand databaseservice environment, according to some implementations.

FIG. 45 shows an example of a window for selecting publisher actions fordisplay in a publisher, according to some implementations.

FIGS. 46A-46B show an example of a user interface with a publisher withcustom actions and an information feed for mobile device applications,according to some implementations.

FIGS. 47A-47B show an example of a lookup tool for searching through adatabase system for an on-demand database service environment, accordingto some implementations.

FIGS. 48A-48B show an example of a search query tool for searchingthrough a database system for an on-demand database service environment,according to some implementations.

FIG. 49 shows an example of a user interface including a publisherdisplaying a plurality of data fields for a publisher action, andvalidation rules associated with one or more data fields, according tosome implementations.

FIG. 50A shows an example of a publisher for logging a bug, according tosome implementations.

FIG. 50B shows an example of a corresponding feed item created frompublisher data provided in FIG. 50A, according to some implementations.

FIG. 51A shows an example of a publisher for filing an expense report,according to some implementations.

FIG. 51B shows an example of a feed item from publisher data provided inFIG. 51A, according to some implementations.

FIG. 51C shows an example of another feed item with approval control toupdate a status of the expense report in FIG. 51A, according to someimplementations.

FIG. 52 shows an example of a user interface including a custom actiondefinition area for creating the custom action with a Visualforce page.

FIG. 53A shows an example of a record with a customized Visualforce pagelayout.

FIG. 53B shows an example of a publisher with a customized Visualforceaction layout.

FIG. 54 shows an example of a user interface with a publisher exposingdata fields for a custom action hosted natively in an on-demand serviceenvironment, according to some implementations.

FIG. 55 shows an example of a user interface with a publisher exposingcontent from a web page hosted outside of an on-demand serviceenvironment, according to some implementations.

FIG. 56A shows an example of a user interface with a publisher exposingcontent from an application hosted on a third-party platform, accordingto some implementations.

FIG. 56B shows an example of a user interface with a feed itemdisplaying data based on a user input regarding content from theapplication hosted on the third-party platform in FIG. 56A, according tosome implementations.

FIG. 56C shows an example of a user interface with a feed itemdisplaying approval controls based on a user input regarding contentfrom the application hosted on the third-party platform in FIG. 56A,according to some implementations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples of systems, apparatus, and methods according to the disclosedimplementations are described in this section. These examples are beingprovided solely to add context and aid in the understanding of thedisclosed implementations. It will thus be apparent to one skilled inthe art that implementations may be practiced without some or all ofthese specific details. In other instances, certain process/methodoperations, also referred to herein as “blocks,” have not been describedin detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring implementations.Other applications are possible, such that the following examples shouldnot be taken as definitive or limiting either in scope or setting.

In the following detailed description, references are made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of the description and in whichare shown, by way of illustration, specific implementations. Althoughthese implementations are described in sufficient detail to enable oneskilled in the art to practice the disclosed implementations, it isunderstood that these examples are not limiting, such that otherimplementations may be used and changes may be made without departingfrom their spirit and scope. For example, the blocks of methods shownand described herein are not necessarily performed in the orderindicated. It should also be understood that the methods may includemore or fewer blocks than are indicated. In some implementations, blocksdescribed herein as separate blocks may be combined. Conversely, whatmay be described herein as a single block may be implemented in multipleblocks.

Various implementations described or referenced herein are directed todifferent methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable storagemedia for interacting with one or more records in a single userinterface in an online social network, also referred to herein as asocial networking system. One example of an online social network isChatter®, provided by salesforce.com, inc. of San Francisco, Calif.Online social networks are increasingly becoming a common way tofacilitate communication among people and groups of people, any of whomcan be recognized as users of a social networking system. Some onlinesocial networks can be implemented in various settings, includingorganizations, e.g., enterprises such as companies or businesspartnerships, academic institutions, or groups within such anorganization. For instance, Chatter® can be used by employee users in adivision of a business organization to share data, communicate, andcollaborate with each other for various purposes.

In some online social networks, users can access one or more informationfeeds, which include information updates presented as items or entriesin the feed. Such a feed item can include a single information update ora collection of individual information updates. A feed item can includevarious types of data including character-based data, audio data, imagedata and/or video data. An information feed can be displayed in agraphical user interface (GUI) on a display device such as the displayof a computing device as described below. The information updates caninclude various social network data from various sources and can bestored in an on-demand database service environment. In someimplementations, the disclosed methods, apparatus, systems, andcomputer-readable storage media may be configured or designed for use ina multi-tenant database environment.

In some implementations, an online social network may allow a user tofollow data objects in the form of records such as cases, accounts, oropportunities, in addition to following individual users and groups ofusers. The “following” of a record stored in a database, as described ingreater detail below, allows a user to track the progress of thatrecord. Updates to the record, also referred to herein as changes to therecord, are one type of information update that can occur and be notedon an information feed such as a record feed or a news feed of a usersubscribed to the record. Examples of record updates include fieldchanges in the record, updates to the status of a record, as well as thecreation of the record itself. Some records are publicly accessible,such that any user can follow the record, while other records areprivate, for which appropriate security clearance/permissions are aprerequisite to a user following the record.

Information updates can include various types of updates, which may ormay not be linked with a particular record. For example, informationupdates can be user-submitted messages or can otherwise be generated inresponse to user actions or in response to events. Examples of messagesinclude: posts, comments, indications of a user's personal preferencessuch as “likes” and “dislikes”, updates to a user's status, uploadedfiles, and hyperlinks to social network data or other network data suchas various documents and/or web pages on the Internet. Posts can includealpha-numeric or other character-based user inputs such as words,phrases, statements, questions, emotional expressions, and/or symbols.Comments generally refer to responses to posts, such as words, phrases,statements, answers, questions, and reactionary emotional expressionsand/or symbols. Multimedia data can be included in, linked with, orattached to a post or comment. For example, a post can include textualstatements in combination with a JPEG image or animated image. A like ordislike can be submitted in response to a particular post or comment.Examples of uploaded files include presentations, documents, multimediafiles, and the like.

Users can follow a record by subscribing to the record, as mentionedabove. Users can also follow other entities such as other types of dataobjects, other users, and groups of users. Feed tracked updatesregarding such entities are one type of information update that can bereceived and included in the user's news feed. Any number of users canfollow a particular entity and thus view information updates pertainingto that entity on the users' respective news feeds. In some socialnetworks, users may follow each other by establishing connections witheach other, sometimes referred to as “friending” one another. Byestablishing such a connection, one user may be able to see informationgenerated by, generated about, or otherwise associated with anotheruser. For instance, a first user may be able to see information postedby a second user to the second user's personal social network page. Oneimplementation of such a personal social network page is a user'sprofile page, for example, in the form of a web page representing theuser's profile. In one example, when the first user is following thesecond user, the first user's news feed can receive a post from thesecond user submitted to the second user's profile feed, also referredto herein as the user's “wall,” which is one example of an informationfeed displayed on the user's profile page.

In some implementations, an information feed may be specific to a groupof users of an online social network. For instance, a group of users maypublish a news feed. Members of the group may view and post to thisgroup feed in accordance with a permissions configuration for the feedand the group. Information updates in a group context can also includechanges to group status information.

In some implementations, when data such as posts or comments input fromone or more users are submitted to an information feed for a particularuser, group, object, or other construct within an online social network,an email notification or other type of network communication may betransmitted to all users following the user, group, or object inaddition to the inclusion of the data as a feed item in one or morefeeds, such as a user's profile feed, a news feed, or a record feed. Insome online social networks, the occurrence of such a notification islimited to the first instance of a published input, which may form partof a larger conversation. For instance, a notification may betransmitted for an initial post, but not for comments on the post. Insome other implementations, a separate notification is transmitted foreach such information update.

Some implementations of the disclosed systems, apparatus, methods, andcomputer readable storage media are configured to interact with recordsor applications across a single user interface in an online socialnetwork. The single user interface provides a unified user interfaceincluding a publisher and an information feed. The publisher can includeone or more publisher actions configured to interact with a record orapplication. In some implementations, the record can be a customerrelationship management (CRM) object, such as a lead, a case, anaccount, an opportunity, a task, a contact, a campaign, a contract, anevent, a custom object, and a Visualforce page. In some implementations,the application can be an application hosted on a third-party platform.

Some of the publisher actions can be custom actions configured tointeract with a data object or application. The custom action may bedefined in accordance with custom action instructions declaratively orprogrammatically. The custom action instructions may define the dataobject and the interaction to be performed with the data object. Thecustom action instructions may also define attributes of the customaction, including data fields associated with the data object,validation rules associated with the one or more data fields, the pagelayout of the custom action in the publisher, and the action layout ofthe one or more data fields in the publisher. In some instances, thecustom action instructions may be defined using a customization tool,such as Visualforce. This allows a user or organization to makecustomized user interfaces to meet their business needs.

The publisher is configured to publish information to the informationfeed. In some instances, a feed item is created upon performing aninteraction with the record or application, and the feed item mayinclude one or more actionable selections. The one or more actionableselections may provide a reference to the record or application.Selection of one of the actionable selections may cause the publisher tobe operable to receive additional information and/or perform additionaloperations on the record or application. Having such actionableselections in the feed item enables a user to efficiently performactions on the record or application without having to navigate andswitch among different user interfaces. For example, a user can interactwith multiple records without leaving a common user interface. This canbe useful in efficiently advancing CRM as well as non-CRM lifecyclesthrough the publisher and information feed.

The feed item may be presented for inclusion in an information feed,such as a parent record of the child record being acted upon. However,the feed item can be propagated and cross-referenced for display notonly in the record feed of the parent record, but in other relatedfeeds. Identification of such related feeds can occur by, for example, auser defining values in a payload or a system administrator hard-codingthe values. Any interactions performed on a cross-referenced feed itemare also presented on every other cross-referenced feed item so that asingle conversation thread is preserved. This can allow users ororganizations to view and interact with the same feed item from multiplepage layouts.

Not only can the publisher interact with data objects, the publisher mayalso be configured to interact with applications. Such applications maybe hosted natively in the on-demand service environment or hosted on athird-party platform. Custom actions may be defined to interact with theapplication via an API. Regardless of whether the application is hostednatively or on a third-party platform, the API can enable integration ofthe application into the on-demand service environment. Interactionswith the application can be updated to an information feed. Such updatesmay occur without refreshing the user interface.

As more and more users and organizations move toward more collaborativesharing models to communicate and conduct business, there is a desire tobetter expose, enhance, and utilize information. Conventionally,accessing information and interacting with information in an onlinesocial network can involve navigating and switching among severaldifferent applications and interfaces. This can be cumbersome,time-consuming, and unproductive.

As noted above, some of the implementations described herein aredirected at mechanisms to provide a unified user interface that enablesa user to interact with a data object or application in an online socialnetwork. Such interactions can include, for example, a request to createthe data object, a request to delete the data object, a request toupdate the data object, a request to convert the data object, a requestto download data from the data object, a request to upload data to thedata object, a request to attach a file to the data object, a request toview information associated with the data object, and a request tootherwise perform an operation having a reference to the data object. Aunified user interface may include an information feed and a publisherwith a custom action, where the custom action is configured to performone of the aforementioned interactions with the data object orapplication. Such interactions may occur via an API and published to aninformation feed in the form of a feed item. The feed item may becross-referenced in other related feeds to provide a single conversationthread, and the feed item may have actionable selections to performfurther operations on the data object. As such, the publisher and thefeed item become the main interface to interact with and view relevantinformation without the need to switch among different applications andinterfaces.

These and other implementations may be embodied in various types ofhardware, software, firmware, and combinations thereof. For example,some techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, at least in part,by computer-readable media that include program instructions, stateinformation, etc., for performing various services and operationsdescribed herein. Examples of program instructions include both machinecode, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher-levelcode that may be executed by a computing device such as a server orother data processing apparatus using an interpreter. Examples ofcomputer-readable media include, but are not limited to, magnetic mediasuch as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media suchas CD-ROM disks; magneto-optical media; and hardware devices that arespecially configured to store program instructions, such as read-onlymemory (“ROM”) devices and random access memory (“RAM”) devices. Theseand other features of the disclosed implementations will be described inmore detail below with reference to the associated drawings.

The term “multi-tenant database system” can refer to those systems inwhich various elements of hardware and software of a database system maybe shared by one or more customers. For example, a given applicationserver may simultaneously process requests for a great number ofcustomers, and a given database table may store rows of data such asfeed items for a potentially much greater number of customers. The term“query plan” generally refers to one or more operations used to accessinformation in a database system.

A “user profile” or “user's profile” is generally configured to storeand maintain data about a given user of the database system. The datacan include general information, such as name, title, phone number, aphoto, a biographical summary, and a status, e.g., text describing whatthe user is currently doing. As mentioned below, the data can includemessages created by other users. Where there are multiple tenants, auser is typically associated with a particular tenant. For example, auser could be a salesperson of a company, which is a tenant of thedatabase system that provides a database service.

The term “record” generally refers to a data entity, such as an instanceof a data object created by a user of the database service, for example,about a particular (actual or potential) business relationship orproject. The data object can have a data structure defined by thedatabase service (a standard object) or defined by a user (customobject). For example, a record can be for a business partner orpotential business partner (e.g., a client, vendor, distributor, etc.)of the user, and can include information describing an entire company,subsidiaries, or contacts at the company. As another example, a recordcan be a project that the user is working on, such as an opportunity(e.g., a possible sale) with an existing partner, or a project that theuser is trying to get. In one implementation of a multi-tenant databasesystem, each record for the tenants has a unique identifier stored in acommon table. A record has data fields that are defined by the structureof the object (e.g., fields of certain data types and purposes). Arecord can also have custom fields defined by a user. A field can beanother record or include links thereto, thereby providing aparent-child relationship between the records.

The terms “information feed” and “feed” are used interchangeably hereinand generally refer to a combination (e.g., a list) of feed items orentries with various types of information and data. Such feed items canbe stored and maintained in one or more database tables, e.g., as rowsin the table(s), that can be accessed to retrieve relevant informationto be presented as part of a displayed feed. The term “feed item” (orfeed element) refers to an item of information, which can be presentedin the feed such as a post submitted by a user. Feed items ofinformation about a user can be presented in a user's profile feed ofthe database, while feed items of information about a record can bepresented in a record feed in the database, by way of example. A profilefeed and a record feed are examples of different information feeds. Asecond user following a first user and a record can receive the feeditems associated with the first user and the record for display in thesecond user's news feed, which is another type of information feed. Insome implementations, the feed items from any number of followed usersand records can be combined into a single information feed of aparticular user.

As examples, a feed item can be a message, such as a user-generated postof text data, and a feed tracked update to a record or profile, such asa change to a field of the record. Feed tracked updates are described ingreater detail below. A feed can be a combination of messages and feedtracked updates. Messages include text created by a user, and mayinclude other data as well. Examples of messages include posts, userstatus updates, and comments. Messages can be created for a user'sprofile or for a record. Posts can be created by various users,potentially any user, although some restrictions can be applied. As anexample, posts can be made to a wall section of a user's profile page(which can include a number of recent posts) or a section of a recordthat includes multiple posts. The posts can be organized inchronological order when displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI),for instance, on the user's profile page, as part of the user's profilefeed. In contrast to a post, a user status update changes a status of auser and can be made by that user or an administrator. A record can alsohave a status, the update of which can be provided by an owner of therecord or other users having suitable write access permissions to therecord. The owner can be a single user, multiple users, or a group. Inone implementation, there is only one status for a record.

In some implementations, a comment can be made on any feed item. In someimplementations, comments are organized as a list explicitly tied to aparticular feed tracked update, post, or status update. In someimplementations, comments may not be listed in the first layer (in ahierarchal sense) of feed items, but listed as a second layer branchingfrom a particular first layer feed item.

A “feed tracked update,” also referred to herein as a “feed update,” isone type of information update and generally refers to data representingan event. A feed tracked update can include text generated by thedatabase system in response to the event, to be provided as one or morefeed items for possible inclusion in one or more feeds. In oneimplementation, the data can initially be stored, and then the databasesystem can later use the data to create text for describing the event.Both the data and/or the text can be a feed tracked update, as usedherein. In various implementations, an event can be an update of arecord and/or can be triggered by a specific action by a user. Whichactions trigger an event can be configurable. Which events have feedtracked updates created and which feed updates are sent to which userscan also be configurable. Messages and feed updates can be stored as afield or child object of the record. For example, the feed can be storedas a child object of the record.

A “group” is generally a collection of users. In some implementations,the group may be defined as users with a same or similar attribute, orby membership. In some implementations, a “group feed”, also referred toherein as a “group news feed”, includes one or more feed items about anyuser in the group. In some implementations, the group feed also includesinformation updates and other feed items that are about the group as awhole, the group's purpose, the group's description, and group recordsand other objects stored in association with the group. Threads ofinformation updates including group record updates and messages, such asposts, comments, likes, etc., can define group conversations and changeover time.

An “entity feed” or “record feed” generally refers to a feed of feeditems about a particular record in the database, such as feed trackedupdates about changes to the record and posts made by users about therecord. An entity feed can be composed of any type of feed item. Such afeed can be displayed on a page such as a web page associated with therecord, e.g., a home page of the record. As used herein, a “profilefeed” or “user's profile feed” is a feed of feed items about aparticular user. In one example, the feed items for a profile feedinclude posts and comments that other users make about or send to theparticular user, and status updates made by the particular user. Such aprofile feed can be displayed on a page associated with the particularuser. In another example, feed items in a profile feed could includeposts made by the particular user and feed tracked updates initiatedbased on actions of the particular user.

I. General Overview

Systems, apparatus, and methods are provided for implementing enterpriselevel social and business information networking. Such implementationscan provide more efficient use of a database system. For instance, auser of a database system may not easily know when important informationin the database has changed, e.g., about a project or client.Implementations can provide feed tracked updates about such changes andother events, thereby keeping users informed.

By way of example, a user can update a record, e.g., an opportunity suchas a possible sale of 1000 computers. Once the record update has beenmade, a feed tracked update about the record update can thenautomatically be provided, e.g., in a feed, to anyone subscribing to theopportunity or to the user. Thus, the user does not need to contact amanager regarding the change in the opportunity, since the feed trackedupdate about the update is sent via a feed right to the manager's feedpage or other page.

Next, mechanisms and methods for providing systems implementingenterprise level social and business information networking will bedescribed with reference to several implementations. First, an overviewof an example of a database system is described, and then examples oftracking events for a record, actions of a user, and messages about auser or record are described. Various implementations about the datastructure of feeds, customizing feeds, user selection of records andusers to follow, generating feeds, and displaying feeds are alsodescribed.

II. System Overview

FIG. 1A shows a block diagram of an example of an environment 10 inwhich an on-demand database service can be used in accordance with someimplementations. Environment 10 may include user systems 12, network 14,database system 16, processor system 17, application platform 18,network interface 20, tenant data storage 22, system data storage 24,program code 26, and process space 28. In other implementations,environment 10 may not have all of these components and/or may haveother components instead of, or in addition to, those listed above.

Environment 10 is an environment in which an on-demand database serviceexists. User system 12 may be implemented as any computing device(s) orother data processing apparatus such as a machine or system that is usedby a user to access a database system 16. For example, any of usersystems 12 can be a handheld computing device, a mobile phone, a laptopcomputer, a work station, and/or a network of such computing devices. Asillustrated in FIG. 1A (and in more detail in FIG. 1B) user systems 12might interact via a network 14 with an on-demand database service,which is implemented in the example of FIG. 1A as database system 16.

An on-demand database service, implemented using system 16 by way ofexample, is a service that is made available to outside users, who donot need to necessarily be concerned with building and/or maintainingthe database system. Instead, the database system may be available fortheir use when the users need the database system, i.e., on the demandof the users. Some on-demand database services may store informationfrom one or more tenants into tables of a common database image to forma multi-tenant database system (MTS). A database image may include oneor more database objects. A relational database management system(RDBMS) or the equivalent may execute storage and retrieval ofinformation against the database object(s). Application platform 18 maybe a framework that allows the applications of system 16 to run, such asthe hardware and/or software, e.g., the operating system. In someimplementations, application platform 18 enables creation, managing andexecuting one or more applications developed by the provider of theon-demand database service, users accessing the on-demand databaseservice via user systems 12, or third party application developersaccessing the on-demand database service via user systems 12.

The users of user systems 12 may differ in their respective capacities,and the capacity of a particular user system 12 might be entirelydetermined by permissions (permission levels) for the current user. Forexample, where a salesperson is using a particular user system 12 tointeract with system 16, that user system has the capacities allotted tothat salesperson. However, while an administrator is using that usersystem to interact with system 16, that user system has the capacitiesallotted to that administrator. In systems with a hierarchical rolemodel, users at one permission level may have access to applications,data, and database information accessible by a lower permission leveluser, but may not have access to certain applications, databaseinformation, and data accessible by a user at a higher permission level.Thus, different users will have different capabilities with regard toaccessing and modifying application and database information, dependingon a user's security or permission level, also called authorization.

Network 14 is any network or combination of networks of devices thatcommunicate with one another. For example, network 14 can be any one orany combination of a LAN (local area network), WAN (wide area network),telephone network, wireless network, point-to-point network, starnetwork, token ring network, hub network, or other appropriateconfiguration. Network 14 can include a TCP/IP (Transfer ControlProtocol and Internet Protocol) network, such as the global internetworkof networks often referred to as the “Internet” with a capital “I.” TheInternet will be used in many of the examples herein. However, it shouldbe understood that the networks that the present implementations mightuse are not so limited, although TCP/IP is a frequently implementedprotocol.

User systems 12 might communicate with system 16 using TCP/IP and, at ahigher network level, use other common Internet protocols tocommunicate, such as HTTP, FTP, AFS, WAP, etc. In an example where HTTPis used, user system 12 might include an HTTP client commonly referredto as a “browser” for sending and receiving HTTP signals to and from anHTTP server at system 16. Such an HTTP server might be implemented asthe sole network interface 20 between system 16 and network 14, butother techniques might be used as well or instead. In someimplementations, the network interface 20 between system 16 and network14 includes load sharing functionality, such as round-robin HTTP requestdistributors to balance loads and distribute incoming HTTP requestsevenly over a plurality of servers. At least for users accessing system16, each of the plurality of servers has access to the MTS' data;however, other alternative configurations may be used instead.

In one implementation, system 16, shown in FIG. 1A, implements aweb-based customer relationship management (CRM) system. For example, inone implementation, system 16 includes application servers configured toimplement and execute CRM software applications as well as providerelated data, code, forms, web pages and other information to and fromuser systems 12 and to store to, and retrieve from, a database systemrelated data, objects, and Webpage content. With a multi-tenant system,data for multiple tenants may be stored in the same physical databaseobject in tenant data storage 22, however, tenant data typically isarranged in the storage medium(s) of tenant data storage 22 so that dataof one tenant is kept logically separate from that of other tenants sothat one tenant does not have access to another tenant's data, unlesssuch data is expressly shared. In certain implementations, system 16implements applications other than, or in addition to, a CRMapplication. For example, system 16 may provide tenant access tomultiple hosted (standard and custom) applications, including a CRMapplication. User (or third party developer) applications, which may ormay not include CRM, may be supported by the application platform 18,which manages creation, storage of the applications into one or moredatabase objects and executing of the applications in a virtual machinein the process space of the system 16.

One arrangement for elements of system 16 is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B,including a network interface 20, application platform 18, tenant datastorage 22 for tenant data 23, system data storage 24 for system data 25accessible to system 16 and possibly multiple tenants, program code 26for implementing various functions of system 16, and a process space 28for executing MTS system processes and tenant-specific processes, suchas running applications as part of an application hosting service.Additional processes that may execute on system 16 include databaseindexing processes.

Several elements in the system shown in FIG. 1A include conventional,well-known elements that are explained only briefly here. For example,each user system 12 could include a desktop personal computer,workstation, laptop, PDA, cell phone, or any wireless access protocol(WAP) enabled device or any other computing device capable ofinterfacing directly or indirectly to the Internet or other networkconnection. The term “computing device” is also referred to hereinsimply as a “computer”. User system 12 typically runs an HTTP client,e.g., a browsing program, such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser,Netscape's Navigator browser, Opera's browser, or a WAP-enabled browserin the case of a cell phone, PDA or other wireless device, or the like,allowing a user (e.g., subscriber of the multi-tenant database system)of user system 12 to access, process and view information, pages andapplications available to it from system 16 over network 14. Each usersystem 12 also typically includes one or more user input devices, suchas a keyboard, a mouse, trackball, touch pad, touch screen, pen or thelike, for interacting with a graphical user interface (GUI) provided bythe browser on a display (e.g., a monitor screen, LCD display, etc.) ofthe computing device in conjunction with pages, forms, applications andother information provided by system 16 or other systems or servers. Forexample, the user interface device can be used to access data andapplications hosted by system 16, and to perform searches on storeddata, and otherwise allow a user to interact with various GUI pages thatmay be presented to a user. As discussed above, implementations aresuitable for use with the Internet, although other networks can be usedinstead of or in addition to the Internet, such as an intranet, anextranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a non-TCP/IP based network,any LAN or WAN or the like.

According to one implementation, each user system 12 and all of itscomponents are operator configurable using applications, such as abrowser, including computer code run using a central processing unitsuch as an Intel Pentium® processor or the like. Similarly, system 16(and additional instances of an MTS, where more than one is present) andall of its components might be operator configurable usingapplication(s) including computer code to run using processor system 17,which may be implemented to include a central processing unit, which mayinclude an Intel Pentium® processor or the like, and/or multipleprocessor units. Non-transitory computer-readable media can haveinstructions stored thereon/in, that can be executed by or used toprogram a computing device to perform any of the methods of theimplementations described herein. Computer program code 26 implementinginstructions for operating and configuring system 16 to intercommunicateand to process web pages, applications and other data and media contentas described herein is preferably downloadable and stored on a harddisk, but the entire program code, or portions thereof, may also bestored in any other volatile or non-volatile memory medium or device asis well known, such as a ROM or RAM, or provided on any media capable ofstoring program code, such as any type of rotating media includingfloppy disks, optical discs, digital versatile disk (DVD), compact disk(CD), microdrive, and magneto-optical disks, and magnetic or opticalcards, nanosystems (including molecular memory ICs), or any other typeof computer-readable medium or device suitable for storing instructionsand/or data. Additionally, the entire program code, or portions thereof,may be transmitted and downloaded from a software source over atransmission medium, e.g., over the Internet, or from another server, asis well known, or transmitted over any other conventional networkconnection as is well known (e.g., extranet, VPN, LAN, etc.) using anycommunication medium and protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, Ethernet,etc.) as are well known. It will also be appreciated that computer codefor the disclosed implementations can be realized in any programminglanguage that can be executed on a client system and/or server or serversystem such as, for example, C, C++, HTML, any other markup language,Java™, JavaScript, ActiveX, any other scripting language, such asVBScript, and many other programming languages as are well known may beused. (Java™ is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.).

According to some implementations, each system 16 is configured toprovide web pages, forms, applications, data and media content to user(client) systems 12 to support the access by user systems 12 as tenantsof system 16. As such, system 16 provides security mechanisms to keepeach tenant's data separate unless the data is shared. If more than oneMTS is used, they may be located in close proximity to one another(e.g., in a server farm located in a single building or campus), or theymay be distributed at locations remote from one another (e.g., one ormore servers located in city A and one or more servers located in cityB). As used herein, each MTS could include one or more logically and/orphysically connected servers distributed locally or across one or moregeographic locations. Additionally, the term “server” is meant to referto a computing device or system, including processing hardware andprocess space(s), an associated storage medium such as a memory deviceor database, and, in some instances, a database application (e.g.,OODBMS or RDBMS) as is well known in the art. It should also beunderstood that “server system” and “server” are often usedinterchangeably herein. Similarly, the database objects described hereincan be implemented as single databases, a distributed database, acollection of distributed databases, a database with redundant online oroffline backups or other redundancies, etc., and might include adistributed database or storage network and associated processingintelligence.

FIG. 1B shows a block diagram of an example of some implementations ofelements of FIG. 1A and various possible interconnections between theseelements. That is, FIG. 1B also illustrates environment 10. However, inFIG. 1B elements of system 16 and various interconnections in someimplementations are further illustrated. FIG. 1B shows that user system12 may include processor system 12A, memory system 12B, input system12C, and output system 12D. FIG. 1B shows network 14 and system 16. FIG.1B also shows that system 16 may include tenant data storage 22, tenantdata 23, system data storage 24, system data 25, User Interface (UI) 30,Application Program Interface (API) 32, PL/SOQL 34, save routines 36,application setup mechanism 38, applications servers 1001-100N, systemprocess space 102, tenant process spaces 104, tenant management processspace 110, tenant storage space 112, user storage 114, and applicationmetadata 116. In other implementations, environment 10 may not have thesame elements as those listed above and/or may have other elementsinstead of, or in addition to, those listed above.

User system 12, network 14, system 16, tenant data storage 22, andsystem data storage 24 were discussed above in FIG. 1A. Regarding usersystem 12, processor system 12A may be any combination of one or moreprocessors. Memory system 12B may be any combination of one or morememory devices, short term, and/or long term memory. Input system 12Cmay be any combination of input devices, such as one or more keyboards,mice, trackballs, scanners, cameras, and/or interfaces to networks.Output system 12D may be any combination of output devices, such as oneor more monitors, printers, and/or interfaces to networks. As shown byFIG. 1B, system 16 may include a network interface 20 (of FIG. 1A)implemented as a set of HTTP application servers 100, an applicationplatform 18, tenant data storage 22, and system data storage 24. Alsoshown is system process space 102, including individual tenant processspaces 104 and a tenant management process space 110. Each applicationserver 100 may be configured to communicate with tenant data storage 22and the tenant data 23 therein, and system data storage 24 and thesystem data 25 therein to serve requests of user systems 12. The tenantdata 23 might be divided into individual tenant storage spaces 112,which can be either a physical arrangement and/or a logical arrangementof data. Within each tenant storage space 112, user storage 114 andapplication metadata 116 might be similarly allocated for each user. Forexample, a copy of a user's most recently used (MRU) items might bestored to user storage 114. Similarly, a copy of MRU items for an entireorganization that is a tenant might be stored to tenant storage space112. A UI 30 provides a user interface and an API 32 provides anapplication programmer interface to system 16 resident processes tousers and/or developers at user systems 12. The tenant data and thesystem data may be stored in various databases, such as one or moreOracle® databases.

Application platform 18 includes an application setup mechanism 38 thatsupports application developers' creation and management ofapplications, which may be saved as metadata into tenant data storage 22by save routines 36 for execution by subscribers as one or more tenantprocess spaces 104 managed by tenant management process 110 for example.Invocations to such applications may be coded using PL/SOQL 34 thatprovides a programming language style interface extension to API 32. Adetailed description of some PL/SOQL language implementations isdiscussed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 7,730,478, titled METHODAND SYSTEM FOR ALLOWING ACCESS TO DEVELOPED APPLICATIONS VIA AMULTI-TENANT ON-DEMAND DATABASE SERVICE, by Craig Weissman, issued onJun. 1, 2010, and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety andfor all purposes. Invocations to applications may be detected by one ormore system processes, which manage retrieving application metadata 116for the subscriber making the invocation and executing the metadata asan application in a virtual machine.

Each application server 100 may be communicably coupled to databasesystems, e.g., having access to system data 25 and tenant data 23, via adifferent network connection. For example, one application server 1001might be coupled via the network 14 (e.g., the Internet), anotherapplication server 100N-1 might be coupled via a direct network link,and another application server 100N might be coupled by yet a differentnetwork connection. Transfer Control Protocol and Internet Protocol(TCP/IP) are typical protocols for communicating between applicationservers 100 and the database system. However, it will be apparent to oneskilled in the art that other transport protocols may be used tooptimize the system depending on the network interconnect used.

In certain implementations, each application server 100 is configured tohandle requests for any user associated with any organization that is atenant. Because it is desirable to be able to add and remove applicationservers from the server pool at any time for any reason, there ispreferably no server affinity for a user and/or organization to aspecific application server 100. In one implementation, therefore, aninterface system implementing a load balancing function (e.g., an F5Big-IP load balancer) is communicably coupled between the applicationservers 100 and the user systems 12 to distribute requests to theapplication servers 100. In one implementation, the load balancer uses aleast connections algorithm to route user requests to the applicationservers 100. Other examples of load balancing algorithms, such as roundrobin and observed response time, also can be used. For example, incertain implementations, three consecutive requests from the same usercould hit three different application servers 100, and three requestsfrom different users could hit the same application server 100. In thismanner, by way of example, system 16 is multi-tenant, wherein system 16handles storage of, and access to, different objects, data andapplications across disparate users and organizations.

As an example of storage, one tenant might be a company that employs asales force where each salesperson uses system 16 to manage their salesprocess. Thus, a user might maintain contact data, leads data, customerfollow-up data, performance data, goals and progress data, etc., allapplicable to that user's personal sales process (e.g., in tenant datastorage 22). In an example of a MTS arrangement, since all of the dataand the applications to access, view, modify, report, transmit,calculate, etc., can be maintained and accessed by a user system havingnothing more than network access, the user can manage his or her salesefforts and cycles from any of many different user systems. For example,if a salesperson is visiting a customer and the customer has Internetaccess in their lobby, the salesperson can obtain critical updates as tothat customer while waiting for the customer to arrive in the lobby.

While each user's data might be separate from other users' dataregardless of the employers of each user, some data might beorganization-wide data shared or accessible by a plurality of users orall of the users for a given organization that is a tenant. Thus, theremight be some data structures managed by system 16 that are allocated atthe tenant level while other data structures might be managed at theuser level. Because an MTS might support multiple tenants includingpossible competitors, the MTS should have security protocols that keepdata, applications, and application use separate. Also, because manytenants may opt for access to an MTS rather than maintain their ownsystem, redundancy, up-time, and backup are additional functions thatmay be implemented in the MTS. In addition to user-specific data andtenant-specific data, system 16 might also maintain system level datausable by multiple tenants or other data. Such system level data mightinclude industry reports, news, postings, and the like that are sharableamong tenants.

In certain implementations, user systems 12 (which may be clientsystems) communicate with application servers 100 to request and updatesystem-level and tenant-level data from system 16 that may involvesending one or more queries to tenant data storage 22 and/or system datastorage 24. System 16 (e.g., an application server 100 in system 16)automatically generates one or more SQL statements (e.g., one or moreSQL queries) that are designed to access the desired information. Systemdata storage 24 may generate query plans to access the requested datafrom the database.

Each database can generally be viewed as a collection of objects, suchas a set of logical tables, containing data fitted into predefinedcategories. A “table” is one representation of a data object, and may beused herein to simplify the conceptual description of objects and customobjects according to some implementations. It should be understood that“table” and “object” may be used interchangeably herein. Each tablegenerally contains one or more data categories logically arranged ascolumns or fields in a viewable schema. Each row or record of a tablecontains an instance of data for each category defined by the fields.For example, a CRM database may include a table that describes acustomer with fields for basic contact information such as name,address, phone number, fax number, etc. Another table might describe apurchase order, including fields for information such as customer,product, sale price, date, etc. In some multi-tenant database systems,standard entity tables might be provided for use by all tenants. For CRMdatabase applications, such standard entities might include tables forcase, account, contact, lead, and opportunity data objects, eachcontaining pre-defined fields. It should be understood that the word“entity” may also be used interchangeably herein with “object” and“table”.

In some multi-tenant database systems, tenants may be allowed to createand store custom objects, or they may be allowed to customize standardentities or objects, for example by creating custom fields for standardobjects, including custom index fields. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No.7,779,039, titled CUSTOM ENTITIES AND FIELDS IN A MULTI-TENANT DATABASESYSTEM, by Weissman et al., issued on Aug. 17, 2010, and herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes, teachessystems and methods for creating custom objects as well as customizingstandard objects in a multi-tenant database system. In certainimplementations, for example, all custom entity data rows are stored ina single multi-tenant physical table, which may contain multiple logicaltables per organization. It is transparent to customers that theirmultiple “tables” are in fact stored in one large table or that theirdata may be stored in the same table as the data of other customers.

FIG. 2A shows a system diagram illustrating an example of architecturalcomponents of an on-demand database service environment 200 according tosome implementations. A client machine located in the cloud 204,generally referring to one or more networks in combination, as describedherein, may communicate with the on-demand database service environmentvia one or more edge routers 208 and 212. A client machine can be any ofthe examples of user systems 12 described above. The edge routers maycommunicate with one or more core switches 220 and 224 via firewall 216.The core switches may communicate with a load balancer 228, which maydistribute server load over different pods, such as the pods 240 and244. The pods 240 and 244, which may each include one or more serversand/or other computing resources, may perform data processing and otheroperations used to provide on-demand services. Communication with thepods may be conducted via pod switches 232 and 236. Components of theon-demand database service environment may communicate with a databasestorage 256 via a database firewall 248 and a database switch 252.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, accessing an on-demand database serviceenvironment may involve communications transmitted among a variety ofdifferent hardware and/or software components. Further, the on-demanddatabase service environment 200 is a simplified representation of anactual on-demand database service environment. For example, while onlyone or two devices of each type are shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, someimplementations of an on-demand database service environment may includeanywhere from one to many devices of each type. Also, the on-demanddatabase service environment need not include each device shown in FIGS.2A and 2B, or may include additional devices not shown in FIGS. 2A and2B.

Moreover, one or more of the devices in the on-demand database serviceenvironment 200 may be implemented on the same physical device or ondifferent hardware. Some devices may be implemented using hardware or acombination of hardware and software. Thus, terms such as “dataprocessing apparatus,” “machine,” “server” and “device” as used hereinare not limited to a single hardware device, but rather include anyhardware and software configured to provide the described functionality.

The cloud 204 is intended to refer to a data network or plurality ofdata networks, often including the Internet. Client machines located inthe cloud 204 may communicate with the on-demand database serviceenvironment to access services provided by the on-demand databaseservice environment. For example, client machines may access theon-demand database service environment to retrieve, store, edit, and/orprocess information.

In some implementations, the edge routers 208 and 212 route packetsbetween the cloud 204 and other components of the on-demand databaseservice environment 200. The edge routers 208 and 212 may employ theBorder Gateway Protocol (BGP). The BGP is the core routing protocol ofthe Internet. The edge routers 208 and 212 may maintain a table of IPnetworks or ‘prefixes’, which designate network reachability amongautonomous systems on the Internet.

In one or more implementations, the firewall 216 may protect the innercomponents of the on-demand database service environment 200 fromInternet traffic. The firewall 216 may block, permit, or deny access tothe inner components of the on-demand database service environment 200based upon a set of rules and other criteria. The firewall 216 may actas one or more of a packet filter, an application gateway, a statefulfilter, a proxy server, or any other type of firewall.

In some implementations, the core switches 220 and 224 are high-capacityswitches that transfer packets within the on-demand database serviceenvironment 200. The core switches 220 and 224 may be configured asnetwork bridges that quickly route data between different componentswithin the on-demand database service environment. In someimplementations, the use of two or more core switches 220 and 224 mayprovide redundancy and/or reduced latency.

In some implementations, the pods 240 and 244 may perform the core dataprocessing and service functions provided by the on-demand databaseservice environment. Each pod may include various types of hardwareand/or software computing resources. An example of the pod architectureis discussed in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2B.

In some implementations, communication between the pods 240 and 244 maybe conducted via the pod switches 232 and 236. The pod switches 232 and236 may facilitate communication between the pods 240 and 244 and clientmachines located in the cloud 204, for example via core switches 220 and224. Also, the pod switches 232 and 236 may facilitate communicationbetween the pods 240 and 244 and the database storage 256.

In some implementations, the load balancer 228 may distribute workloadbetween the pods 240 and 244. Balancing the on-demand service requestsbetween the pods may assist in improving the use of resources,increasing throughput, reducing response times, and/or reducingoverhead. The load balancer 228 may include multilayer switches toanalyze and forward traffic.

In some implementations, access to the database storage 256 may beguarded by a database firewall 248. The database firewall 248 may act asa computer application firewall operating at the database applicationlayer of a protocol stack. The database firewall 248 may protect thedatabase storage 256 from application attacks such as structure querylanguage (SQL) injection, database rootkits, and unauthorizedinformation disclosure.

In some implementations, the database firewall 248 may include a hostusing one or more forms of reverse proxy services to proxy trafficbefore passing it to a gateway router. The database firewall 248 mayinspect the contents of database traffic and block certain content ordatabase requests. The database firewall 248 may work on the SQLapplication level atop the TCP/IP stack, managing applications'connection to the database or SQL management interfaces as well asintercepting and enforcing packets traveling to or from a databasenetwork or application interface.

In some implementations, communication with the database storage 256 maybe conducted via the database switch 252. The multi-tenant databasestorage 256 may include more than one hardware and/or softwarecomponents for handling database queries. Accordingly, the databaseswitch 252 may direct database queries transmitted by other componentsof the on-demand database service environment (e.g., the pods 240 and244) to the correct components within the database storage 256.

In some implementations, the database storage 256 is an on-demanddatabase system shared by many different organizations. The on-demanddatabase system may employ a multi-tenant approach, a virtualizedapproach, or any other type of database approach. An on-demand databasesystem is discussed in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 2B shows a system diagram further illustrating an example ofarchitectural components of an on-demand database service environmentaccording to some implementations. The pod 244 may be used to renderservices to a user of the on-demand database service environment 200. Insome implementations, each pod may include a variety of servers and/orother systems. The pod 244 includes one or more content batch servers264, content search servers 268, query servers 282, file force servers286, access control system (ACS) servers 280, batch servers 284, and appservers 288. Also, the pod 244 includes database instances 290, quickfile systems (QFS) 292, and indexers 294. In one or moreimplementations, some or all communication between the servers in thepod 244 may be transmitted via the switch 236.

In some implementations, the app servers 288 may include a hardwareand/or software framework dedicated to the execution of procedures(e.g., programs, routines, scripts) for supporting the construction ofapplications provided by the on-demand database service environment 200via the pod 244. In some implementations, the hardware and/or softwareframework of an app server 288 is configured to execute operations ofthe services described herein, including performance of the blocks ofmethods described with reference to FIGS. 15-56C. In alternativeimplementations, two or more app servers 288 may be included andcooperate to perform such methods, or one or more other serversdescribed herein can be configured to perform the disclosed methods.

The content batch servers 264 may handle requests internal to the pod.These requests may be long-running and/or not tied to a particularcustomer. For example, the content batch servers 264 may handle requestsrelated to log mining, cleanup work, and maintenance tasks.

The content search servers 268 may provide query and indexer functions.For example, the functions provided by the content search servers 268may allow users to search through content stored in the on-demanddatabase service environment.

The file force servers 286 may manage requests for information stored inthe Fileforce storage 298. The Fileforce storage 298 may storeinformation such as documents, images, and basic large objects (BLOBs).By managing requests for information using the file force servers 286,the image footprint on the database may be reduced.

The query servers 282 may be used to retrieve information from one ormore file systems. For example, the query system 282 may receiverequests for information from the app servers 288 and then transmitinformation queries to the NFS 296 located outside the pod.

The pod 244 may share a database instance 290 configured as amulti-tenant environment in which different organizations share accessto the same database. Additionally, services rendered by the pod 244 maycall upon various hardware and/or software resources. In someimplementations, the ACS servers 280 may control access to data,hardware resources, or software resources.

In some implementations, the batch servers 284 may process batch jobs,which are used to run tasks at specified times. Thus, the batch servers284 may transmit instructions to other servers, such as the app servers288, to trigger the batch jobs.

In some implementations, the QFS 292 may be an open source file systemavailable from Sun Microsystems® of Santa Clara, Calif. The QFS mayserve as a rapid-access file system for storing and accessinginformation available within the pod 244. The QFS 292 may support somevolume management capabilities, allowing many disks to be groupedtogether into a file system. File system metadata can be kept on aseparate set of disks, which may be useful for streaming applicationswhere long disk seeks cannot be tolerated. Thus, the QFS system maycommunicate with one or more content search servers 268 and/or indexers294 to identify, retrieve, move, and/or update data stored in thenetwork file systems 296 and/or other storage systems.

In some implementations, one or more query servers 282 may communicatewith the NFS 296 to retrieve and/or update information stored outside ofthe pod 244. The NFS 296 may allow servers located in the pod 244 toaccess information to access files over a network in a manner similar tohow local storage is accessed.

In some implementations, queries from the query servers 222 may betransmitted to the NFS 296 via the load balancer 228, which maydistribute resource requests over various resources available in theon-demand database service environment. The NFS 296 may also communicatewith the QFS 292 to update the information stored on the NFS 296 and/orto provide information to the QFS 292 for use by servers located withinthe pod 244.

In some implementations, the pod may include one or more databaseinstances 290. The database instance 290 may transmit information to theQFS 292. When information is transmitted to the QFS, it may be availablefor use by servers within the pod 244 without using an additionaldatabase call.

In some implementations, database information may be transmitted to theindexer 294. Indexer 294 may provide an index of information availablein the database 290 and/or QFS 292. The index information may beprovided to file force servers 286 and/or the QFS 292.

III. Tracking Updates to a Record Stored in a Database

As multiple users might be able to change the data of a record, it canbe useful for certain users to be notified when a record is updated.Also, even if a user does not have authority to change a record, theuser still might want to know when there is an update to the record. Forexample, a vendor may negotiate a new price with a salesperson ofcompany X, where the salesperson is a user associated with tenant Y. Aspart of creating a new invoice or for accounting purposes, thesalesperson can change the price saved in the database. It may beimportant for co-workers to know that the price has changed. Thesalesperson could send an email to certain people, but this is onerousand the salesperson might not email all of the people who need to knowor want to know. Accordingly, some implementations of the disclosedtechniques can inform others (e.g., co-workers) who want to know aboutan update to a record automatically.

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 300 for trackingupdates to a record stored in a database system, performed in accordancewith some implementations. Method 300 (and other methods describedherein) may be implemented at least partially with multi-tenant databasesystem 16, e.g., by one or more processors configured to receive orretrieve information, process the information, store results, andtransmit the results. In other implementations, method 300 may beimplemented at least partially with a single tenant database system. Invarious implementations, blocks may be omitted, combined, or split intoadditional blocks for method 300, as well as for other methods describedherein.

In block 310, the database system receives a request to update a firstrecord. In one implementation, the request is received from a firstuser. For example, a user may be accessing a page associated with thefirst record, and may change a displayed field and hit save. In anotherimplementation, the database system can automatically create therequest. For instance, the database system can create the request inresponse to another event, e.g., a request to change a field could besent periodically at a particular date and/or time of day, or a changeto another field or object. The database system can obtain a new valuebased on other fields of a record and/or based on parameters in thesystem.

The request for the update of a field of a record is an example of anevent associated with the first record for which a feed tracked updatemay be created. In other implementations, the database system canidentify other events besides updates to fields of a record. Forexample, an event can be a submission of approval to change a field.Such an event can also have an associated field (e.g., a field showing astatus of whether a change has been submitted). Other examples of eventscan include creation of a record, deletion of a record, converting arecord from one type to another (e.g., converting a lead to anopportunity), closing a record (e.g., a case type record), andpotentially any other state change of a record—any of which couldinclude a field change associated with the state change. Any of theseevents update the record whether by changing a field of the record, astate of the record, or some other characteristic or property of therecord. In one implementation, a list of supported events for creating afeed tracked update can be maintained within the database system, e.g.,at a server or in a database.

In block 320, the database system writes new data to the first record.In one implementation, the new data may include a new value thatreplaces old data. For example, a field is updated with a new value. Inanother implementation, the new data can be a value for a field that didnot contain data before. In yet another implementation, the new datacould be a flag, e.g., for a status of the record, which can be storedas a field of the record.

In some implementations, a “field” can also include records, which arechild objects of the first record in a parent-child hierarchy. A fieldcan alternatively include a pointer to a child record. A child objectitself can include further fields. Thus, if a field of a child object isupdated with a new value, the parent record also can be considered tohave a field changed. In one example, a field could be a list of relatedchild objects, also called a related list.

In block 330, a feed tracked update is generated about the update to therecord. In one implementation, the feed tracked update is created inparts for assembling later into a display version. For example, evententries can be created and tracked in a first table, and changed fieldentries can be tracked in another table that is cross-referenced withthe first table. More specifics of such implementations are providedlater, e.g., with respect to FIG. 9A. In another implementation, thefeed tracked update is automatically generated by the database system.The feed tracked update can convey in words that the first record hasbeen updated and provide details about what was updated in the recordand who performed the update. In some implementations, a feed trackedupdate is generated for only certain types of event and/or updatesassociated with the first record.

In one implementation, a tenant (e.g., through an administrator) canconfigure the database system to create (enable) feed tracked updatesonly for certain types of records. For example, an administrator canspecify that records of designated types such as accounts andopportunities are enabled. When an update (or other event) is receivedfor the enabled record type, then a feed tracked update would begenerated. In another implementation, a tenant can also specify thefields of a record whose changes are to be tracked, and for which feedtracked updates are created. In one aspect, a maximum number of fieldscan be specified for tracking, and may include custom fields. In oneimplementation, the type of change can also be specified, for example,that the value change of a field is to be larger than a threshold (e.g.,an absolute amount or a percentage change). In yet anotherimplementation, a tenant can specify which events are to cause ageneration of a feed tracked update. Also, in one implementation,individual users can specify configurations specific to them, which cancreate custom feeds as described in more detail below.

In one implementation, changes to fields of a child object are nottracked to create feed tracked updates for the parent record. In anotherimplementation, the changes to fields of a child object can be trackedto create feed tracked updates for the parent record. For example, achild object of the parent type can be specified for tracking, andcertain fields of the child object can be specified for tracking. Asanother example, if the child object is of a type specified fortracking, then a tracked change for the child object is propagated toparent records of the child object.

In block 340, the feed tracked update is added to a feed for the firstrecord. In one implementation, adding the feed tracked update to a feedcan include adding events to a table (which may be specific to a recordor be for all or a group of objects), where a display version of a feedtracked update can be generated dynamically and presented in a GUI as afeed item when a user requests a feed for the first record. In anotherimplementation, a display version of a feed tracked update can be addedwhen a record feed is stored and maintained for a record. As mentionedabove, a feed may be maintained for only certain records. In oneimplementation, the feed of a record can be stored in the databaseassociated with the record. For example, the feed can be stored as afield (e.g., as a child object) of the record. Such a field can store apointer to the text to be displayed for the feed tracked update.

In some implementations, only the current feed tracked update (or othercurrent feed item) may be kept or temporarily stored, e.g., in sometemporary memory structure. For example, a feed tracked update for onlya most recent change to any particular field is kept. In otherimplementations, many previous feed tracked updates may be kept in thefeed. A time and/or date for each feed tracked update can be tracked.Herein, a feed of a record is also referred to as an entity feed, as arecord is an instance of a particular entity object of the database.

In block 350, followers of the first record can be identified. Afollower is a user following the first record, such as a subscriber tothe feed of the first record. In one implementation, when a userrequests a feed of a particular record, such an identification of block350 can be omitted. In another implementation where a record feed ispushed to a user (e.g., as part of a news feed), then the user can beidentified as a follower of the first record. Accordingly, this blockcan include the identification of records and other objects beingfollowed by a particular user.

In one implementation, the database system can store a list of thefollowers for a particular record. In various implementations, the listcan be stored with the first record or associated with the record usingan identifier (e.g., a pointer) to retrieve the list. For example, thelist can be stored in a field of the first record. In anotherimplementation, a list of the records that a user is following is used.In one implementation, the database system can have a routine that runsfor each user, where the routine polls the records in the list todetermine if a new feed tracked update has been added to a feed of therecord. In another implementation, the routine for the user can berunning at least partially on a user device, which contacts the databaseto perform the polling.

In block 360, in one implementation, the feed tracked update can bestored in a table, as described in greater detail below. When the useropens a feed, an appropriate query is sent to one or more tables toretrieve updates to records, also described in greater detail below. Insome implementations, the feed shows feed tracked updates in reversechronological order. In one implementation, the feed tracked update ispushed to the feed of a user, e.g., by a routine that determines thefollowers for the record from a list associated with the record. Inanother implementation, the feed tracked update is pulled to a feed,e.g., by a user device. This pulling may occur when a user requests thefeed, as occurs in block 370. Thus, these actions may occur in adifferent order. The creation of the feed for a pull may be a dynamiccreation that identifies records being followed by the requesting user,generates the display version of relevant feed tracked updates fromstored information (e.g., event and field change), and adds the feedtracked updates into the feed. A feed of feed tracked updates of recordsand other objects that a user is following is also generally referred toherein as a news feed, which can be a subset of a larger informationfeed in which other types of information updates appear, such as posts.

In yet another implementation, the feed tracked update could be sent asan email to the follower, instead of in a feed. In one implementation,email alerts for events can enable people to be emailed when certainevents occur. In another implementation, emails can be sent when thereare posts on a user profile and posts on entities to which the usersubscribes. In one implementation, a user can turn on/off email alertsfor all or some events. In an implementation, a user can specify whatkind of feed tracked updates to receive about a record that the user isfollowing. For example, a user can choose to only receive feed trackedupdates about certain fields of a record that the user is following, andpotentially about what kind of update was performed (e.g., a new valueinput into a specified field, or the creation of a new field).

In block 370, a follower can access his/her news feed to see the feedtracked update. In one implementation, the user has just one news feedfor all of the records that the user is following. In one aspect, a usercan access his/her own feed by selecting a particular tab or otherobject on a page of an interface to the database system. Once selectedthe feed can be provided as a list, e.g., with an identifier (e.g., atime) or including some or all of the text of the feed tracked update.In another implementation, the user can specify how the feed trackedupdates are to be displayed and/or sent to the user. For example, a usercan specify a font for the text, a location of where the feed can beselected and displayed, amount of text to be displayed, and other textor symbols to be displayed (e.g., importance flags).

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of an example of components of a databasesystem configuration 400 performing a method for tracking an update to arecord according to some implementations. Database system configuration400 can perform implementations of method 300, as well asimplementations of other methods described herein.

A first user 405 sends a request 1 to update record 425 in databasesystem 416. Although an update request is described, other events thatare being tracked are equally applicable. In various implementations,the request 1 can be sent via a user interface (e.g., 30 of FIG. 1B) oran application program interface (e.g., API 32). An I/O port 420 canaccommodate the signals of request 1 via any input interface, and sendthe signals to one or more processors 417. The processor 417 can analyzethe request and determine operations to be performed. Herein, anyreference to a processor 417 can refer to a specific processor or anyset of processors in database system 416, which can be collectivelyreferred to as processor 417.

Processor 417 can determine an identifier for record 425, and sendcommands with the new data 2 of the request to record database 412 toupdate record 425. In one implementation, record database 412 is wheretenant storage space 112 of FIG. 1B is located. The request 1 and newdata commands 2 can be encapsulated in a single write transaction sentto record database 412. In one implementation, multiple changes torecords in the database can be made in a single write transaction.

Processor 417 can also analyze request 1 to determine whether a feedtracked update is to be created, which at this point may includedetermining whether the event (e.g., a change to a particular field) isto be tracked. This determination can be based on an interaction (i.e.,an exchange of data) with record database 412 and/or other databases, orbased on information stored locally (e.g., in cache or RAM) at processor417. In one implementation, a list of record types that are beingtracked can be stored. The list may be different for each tenant, e.g.,as each tenant may configure the database system to its ownspecifications. Thus, if the record 425 is of a type not being tracked,then the determination of whether to create a feed tracked update canstop there.

The same list or a second list (which can be stored in a same locationor a different location) can also include the fields and/or events thatare tracked for the record types in the first list. This list can besearched to determine if the event is being tracked. A list may alsocontain information having the granularity of listing specific recordsthat are to be tracked (e.g., if a tenant can specify the particularrecords to be tracked, as opposed to just type).

As an example, processor 417 may obtain an identifier associated withrecord 425 (e.g., obtained from request 1 or database 412), potentiallyalong with a tenant identifier, and cross-reference the identifier witha list of records for which feed tracked updates are to be created.Specifically, the record identifier can be used to determine the recordtype and a list of tracked types can be searched for a match. Thespecific record may also be checked if such individual record trackingwas enabled. The name of the field to be changed can also be used tosearch a list of tracking-enabled fields. Other criteria besides fieldand events can be used to determine whether a feed tracked update iscreated, e.g., type of change in the field. If a feed tracked update isto be generated, processor 417 can then generate the feed trackedupdate.

In some implementations, a feed tracked update is created dynamicallywhen a feed (e.g., the entity feed of record 425) is requested. Thus, inone implementation, a feed tracked update can be created when a userrequests the entity feed for record 425. In this implementation, thefeed tracked update may be created (e.g., assembled), includingre-created, each time the entity feed is to be displayed to any user. Inone implementation, one or more event history tables can keep track ofprevious events so that the feed tracked update can be re-created.

In another implementation, a feed tracked update can be created at thetime the event occurs, and the feed tracked update can be added to alist of feed items. The list of feed items may be specific to record425, or may be an aggregate of feed items including feed items for manyrecords. Such an aggregate list can include a record identifier so thatthe feed items for the entity feed of record 425 can be easilyretrieved. For example, after the feed tracked update has beengenerated, processor 417 can add the new feed tracked update 3 to a feedof record 425. As mentioned above, in one implementation, the feed canbe stored in a field (e.g., as a child object) of record 425. In anotherimplementation, the feed can be stored in another location or in anotherdatabase, but with a link (e.g., a connecting identifier) to record 425.The feed can be organized in various ways, e.g., as a linked list, anarray, or other data structure.

A second user 430 can access the new feed tracked update 3 in variousways. In one implementation, second user 430 can send a request 4 forthe record feed. For example, second user 430 can access a home page(detail page) of the record 425 (e.g., with a query or by browsing), andthe feed can be obtained through a tab, button, or other activationobject on the page. The feed can be displayed on the screen ordownloaded.

In another implementation, processor 417 can add the new feed trackedupdate 5 to a feed (e.g., a news feed) of a user that is followingrecord 425. In one implementation, processor 417 can determine each ofthe followers of record 425 by accessing a list of the users that havebeen registered as followers. This determination can be done for eachnew event (e.g., update 1). In another implementation, processor 417 canpoll (e.g., with a query) the records that second user 430 is followingto determine when new feed tracked updates (or other feed items) areavailable. Processor 417 can use a follower profile 435 of second user430 that can contain a list of the records that the second user 430 isfollowing. Such a list can be contained in other parts of the databaseas well. Second user 430 can then send a request 6 to his/her profile435 to obtain a feed, which contains the new feed tracked update. Theuser's profile 435 can be stored in a profile database 414, which can bethe same or different than database 412.

In some implementations, a user can define a news feed to include newfeed tracked updates from various records, which may be limited to amaximum number. In one implementation, each user has one news feed. Inanother implementation, the follower profile 435 can include thespecifications of each of the records to be followed (with the criteriafor what feed tracked updates are to be provided and how they aredisplayed), as well as the feed.

Some implementations can provide various types of record (entity) feeds.Entity Feeds can exist for record types like account, opportunity, case,and contact. An entity feed can tell a user about the actions thatpeople have taken on that particular record or on one its relatedrecords. The entity feed can include who made the action, which fieldwas changed, and the old and new values. In one implementation, entityfeeds can exist on all supported records as a list that is linked to thespecific record. For example, a feed could be stored in a field thatallows lists (e.g., linked lists) or as a child object.

IV. Tracking Actions of a User

In addition to knowing about events associated with a particular record,it can be helpful for a user to know what a particular user is doing. Inparticular, it might be nice to know what the user is doing without theuser having to generate the feed tracked update (e.g., a user submittinga synopsis of what the user has done). Accordingly, implementations canautomatically track actions of a user that trigger events, and feedtracked updates can be generated for certain events.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 500 for trackingactions of a user of a database system, performed in accordance withsome implementations. Method 500 may be performed in addition to method300. The operations of method 300, including order of blocks, can beperformed in conjunction with method 500 and other methods describedherein. Thus, a feed can be composed of changes to a record and actionsof users.

In block 510, a database system (e.g., 16 of FIGS. 1A and 1B) identifiesan action of a first user. In one implementation, the action triggers anevent, and the event is identified. For example, the action of a userrequesting an update to a record can be identified, where the event isreceiving a request or is the resulting update of a record. The actionmay thus be defined by the resulting event. In another implementation,only certain types of actions (events) are identified. Which actions areidentified can be set as a default or can be configurable by a tenant,or even configurable at a user level. In this way, processing effort canbe reduced since only some actions are identified.

In block 520, it is determined whether the event qualifies for a feedtracked update. In one implementation, a predefined list of events(e.g., as mentioned herein) can be created so that only certain actionsare identified. In one implementation, an administrator (or other user)of a tenant can specify the type of actions (events) for which a feedtracked update is to be generated. This block may also be performed formethod 300.

In block 530, a feed tracked update is generated about the action. In anexample where the action is an update of a record, the feed trackedupdate can be similar or the same as the feed tracked update created forthe record. The description can be altered though to focus on the useras opposed to the record. For example, “John D. has closed a newopportunity for account XYZ” as opposed to “an opportunity has beenclosed for account XYZ.”

In block 540, the feed tracked update is added to a profile feed of thefirst user when, e.g., the user clicks on a tab to open a page in abrowser program displaying the feed. In one implementation, a feed for aparticular user can be accessed on a page of the user's profile, in asimilar manner as a record feed can be accessed on a detail page of therecord. In another implementation, the first user may not have a profilefeed and the feed tracked update may just be stored temporarily beforeproceeding. A profile feed of a user can be stored associated with theuser's profile. This profile feed can be added to a news feed of anotheruser.

In block 550, followers of the first user are identified. In oneimplementation, a user can specify which type of actions other users canfollow. Similarly, in one implementation, a follower can select whatactions by a user the follower wants to follow. In an implementationwhere different followers follow different types of actions, which usersare followers of that user and the particular action can be identified,e.g., using various lists that track what actions and criteria are beingfollowed by a particular user. In various implementations, the followersof the first user can be identified in a similar manner as followers ofa record, as described above for block 350.

In block 560, the feed tracked update is added to a news feed of eachfollower of the first user when, e.g., the follower clicks on a tab toopen a page displaying the news feed. The feed tracked update can beadded in a similar manner as the feed items for a record feed. The newsfeed can contain feed tracked updates both about users and records. Inanother implementation, a user can specify what kind of feed trackedupdates to receive about a user that the user is following. For example,a user could specify feed tracked updates with particular keywords, ofcertain types of records, of records owned or created by certain users,particular fields, and other criteria as mentioned herein.

In block 570, a follower accesses the news feed and sees the feedtracked update. In one implementation, the user has just one news feedfor all of the records that the user is following. In anotherimplementation, a user can access his/her own feed (i.e. feed abouthis/her own actions) by selecting a particular tab or other object on apage of an interface to the database system. Thus, a feed can includefeed tracked updates about what other users are doing in the databasesystem. When a user becomes aware of a relevant action of another user,the user can contact the co-worker, thereby fostering teamwork.

V. Generation of a Feed Tracked Update

As described above, some implementations can generate text describingevents (e.g., updates) that have occurred for a record and actions by auser that trigger an event. A database system can be configured togenerate the feed tracked updates for various events in various ways.

In one implementation, the feed tracked update is a grammaticalsentence, thereby being easily understandable by a person. In anotherimplementation, the feed tracked update provides detailed informationabout the update. In various examples, an old value and new value for afield may be included in the feed tracked update, an action for theupdate may be provided (e.g., submitted for approval), and the names ofparticular users that are responsible for replying or acting on the feedtracked update may be also provided. The feed tracked update can alsohave a level of importance based on settings chosen by theadministrator, a particular user requesting an update, or by a followinguser who is to receive the feed tracked update, which fields is updated,a percentage of the change in a field, the type of event, or anycombination of these factors.

The system may have a set of heuristics for creating a feed trackedupdate from the event (e.g., a request to update). For example, thesubject may be the user, the record, or a field being added or changed.The verb can be based on the action requested by the user, which can beselected from a list of verbs (which may be provided as defaults orinput by an administrator of a tenant). In one implementation, feedtracked updates can be generic containers with formatting restrictions,

As an example of a feed tracked update for a creation of a new record,“Mark Abramowitz created a new Opportunity for IBM—20,000 laptops withAmount as $3.5M and Sam Palmisano as Decision Maker.” This event can beposted to the profile feed for Mark Abramowitz and the entity feed forrecord of Opportunity for IBM—20,000 laptops. The pattern can be givenby (AgentFullName) created a new (ObjectName)(RecordName) with[(FieldName) as (FieldValue) [,/and] ]* [[added/changed/removed](RelatedListRecordName) [as/to/as] (RelatedListRecordValue) [,/and] ]*.Similar patterns can be formed for a changed field (standard or custom)and an added child record to a related list.

VI. Tracking Commentary from or about a User

Some implementations can also have a user submit text, instead of thedatabase system generating a feed tracked update. As the text issubmitted as part or all of a message by a user, the text can be aboutany topic. Thus, more information than just actions of a user and eventsof a record can be conveyed. In one implementation, the messages can beused to ask a question about a particular record, and users followingthe record can provide comments and responses.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 600 for creating anews feed from messages created by a user about a record or anotheruser, performed in accordance with some implementations. In oneimplementation, method 600 can be combined with methods 300 and 500. Inone aspect, a message can be associated with the first user when thefirst user creates the message (e.g., a post or comment about a recordor another user). In another aspect, a message can be associated withthe first user when the message is about the first user (e.g., posted byanother user on the first user's profile feed).

In block 610, the database system receives a message (e.g., a post orstatus update) associated with a first user. The message (e.g., a postor status update) can contain text and/or multimedia content submittedby another user or by the first user. In one implementation, a post isfor a section of the first user's profile page where any user can add apost, and where multiple posts can exist. Thus, a post can appear on thefirst user's profile page and can be viewed when the first user'sprofile is visited. For a message about a record, the post can appear ona detail page of a record. Note the message can appear in other feeds aswell. In another implementation, a status update about the first usercan only be added by the first user. In one implementation, a user canonly have one status message.

In block 620, the message is added to a table, as described in greaterdetail below. When the feed is opened, a query filters one or moretables to identify the first user, identify other persons that the useris following, and retrieve the message. Messages and record updates arepresented in a combined list as the feed. In this way, in oneimplementation, the message can be added to a profile feed of the firstuser, which is associated (e.g., as a related list) with the firstuser's profile. In one implementation, the posts are listedindefinitely. In another implementation, only the most recent posts(e.g., last 50) are kept in the profile feed. Such implementations canalso be employed with feed tracked updates. In yet anotherimplementation, the message can be added to a profile of the user addingthe message.

In block 630, the database system identifies followers of the firstuser. In one implementation, the database system can identify thefollowers as described above for method 500. In various implementations,a follower can select to follow a feed about the actions of the firstuser, messages about the first user, or both (potentially in a samefeed).

In block 640, the message is added to a news feed of each follower. Inone implementation, the message is only added to a news feed of aparticular follower if the message matches some criteria, e.g., themessage includes a particular keyword or other criteria. In anotherimplementation, a message can be deleted by the user who created themessage. In one implementation, once deleted by the author, the messageis deleted from all feeds to which the message had been added.

In block 650, the follower accesses a news feed and sees the message.For example, the follower can access a news feed on the follower's ownprofile page. As another example, the follower can have a news feed sentto his/her own desktop without having to first go to a home page.

In block 660, the database system receives a comment about the message.The database system can add the comment to a feed of the same firstuser, much as the original message was added. In one implementation, thecomment can also be added to a feed of a second user who added thecomment. In one implementation, users can also reply to the comment. Inanother implementation, users can add comments to a feed tracked update,and further comments can be associated with the feed tracked update. Inyet another implementation, making a comment or message is not an actionto which a feed tracked update is created. Thus, the message may be theonly feed item created from such an action.

In one implementation, if a feed tracked update or post is deleted, itscorresponding comments are deleted as well. In another implementation,new comments on a feed tracked update or post do not update the feedtracked update timestamp. Also, the feed tracked update or post cancontinue to be shown in a feed (profile feed, record feed, or news feed)if it has had a comment within a specified timeframe (e.g., within thelast week). Otherwise, the feed tracked update or post can be removed inan implementation.

In some implementations, all or most feed tracked updates can becommented on. In other implementations, feed tracked updates for certainrecords (e.g., cases or ideas) are not commentable. In variousimplementations, comments can be made for any one or more records ofopportunities, accounts, contacts, leads, and custom objects.

In block 670, the comment is added to a news feed of each follower. Inone implementation, a user can make the comment within the user's newsfeed. Such a comment can propagate to the appropriate profile feed orrecord feed, and then to the news feeds of the following users. Thus,feeds can include what people are saying, as well as what they aredoing. In one aspect, feeds are a way to stay up-to-date (e.g., onusers, opportunities, etc.) as well as an opportunity to reach out toco-workers/partners and engage them around common goals.

In some implementations, users can rate feed tracked updates or messages(including comments). A user can choose to prioritize a display of afeed so that higher rated feed items show up higher on a display. Forexample, in an implementation where comments are answers to a specificquestion, users can rate the different status posts so that a bestanswer can be identified. As another example, users are able to quicklyidentify feed items that are most important as those feed items can bedisplayed at a top of a list. The order of the feed items can be basedon an importance level (which can be determined by the database systemusing various factors, some of which are mentioned herein) and based ona rating from users. In one implementation, the rating is on a scalethat includes at least 3 values. In another implementation, the ratingis based on a binary scale.

Besides a profile for a user, a group can also be created. In variousimplementations, the group can be created based on certain attributesthat are common to the users, can be created by inviting users, and/orcan be created by receiving requests to join from a user. In oneimplementation, a group feed can be created, with messages being addedto the group feed when someone submits a message to the group as a wholethrough a suitable user interface. For example, a group page may have agroup feed or a section within the feed for posts, and a user can submita post through a publisher component in the user interface by clickingon a “Share” or similar button. In another implementation, a message canbe added to a group feed when the message is submitted about any one ofthe members. Also, a group feed can include feed tracked updates aboutactions of the group as a whole (e.g., when an administrator changesdata in a group profile or a record owned by the group), or aboutactions of an individual member.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a group feed on a group page according tosome implementations. As shown, a feed item 710 shows that a user hasposted a document to the group object. The text “Bill Bauer has postedthe document Competitive Insights” can be generated by the databasesystem in a similar manner as feed tracked updates about a record beingchanged. A feed item 720 shows a post to the group, along with comments730 from Ella Johnson, James Saxon, Mary Moore and Bill Bauer.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a record feed containing a feed trackedupdate, post, and comments according to some implementations. Feed item810 shows a feed tracked update based on the event of submitting adiscount for approval. Other feed items show posts, e.g., from BillBauer, that are made to the record and comments, e.g., from Erica Lawand Jake Rapp, that are made on the posts.

VII. Infrastructure for a Feed

A. Tables Used to Create a Feed

FIG. 9A shows an example of a plurality of feed tracked update tablesthat may be used in tracking events and creating feeds according to someimplementations. The tables of FIG. 9A may have entries added, orpotentially removed, as part of tracking events in the database fromwhich feed items are creates or that correspond to feed items. In oneimplementation, each tenant has its own set of tables that are createdbased on criteria provided by the tenant.

An event history table 910 can provide a feed tracked update of eventsfrom which feed items are created. In one aspect, the events are forobjects that are being tracked. Thus, table 910 can store and changefeed tracked updates for feeds, and the changes can be persisted. Invarious implementations, event history table 910 can have columns ofevent ID 911, object ID 912 (also called parent ID), and created by ID913. The event ID 911 can uniquely identify a particular event and canstart at 1 (or other number or value).

Each new event can be added chronologically with a new event ID, whichmay be incremented in order. An object ID 912 can be used to track whichrecord or user's profile is being changed. For example, the object IDcan correspond to the record whose field is being changed or the userwhose feed is receiving a post. The created by ID 913 can track the userwho is performing the action that results in the event, e.g., the userthat is changing the field or that is posting a message to the profileof another user.

In one implementation, a name of an event can also be stored in table910. In one implementation, a tenant can specify events that they wanttracked. In an implementation, event history table 910 can include thename of the field that changed (e.g., old and new values). In anotherimplementation, the name of the field, and the values, are stored in aseparate table. Other information about an event (e.g., text of comment,feed tracked update, post or status update) can be stored in eventhistory table 910, or in other tables, as is now described.

A field change table 920 can provide a feed tracked update of thechanges to the fields. The columns of table 920 can include an event ID921 (which correlates to the event ID 911), an old value 922 for thefield, and the new value 923 for the field. In one implementation, if anevent changes more than one field value, then there can be an entry foreach field changed. As shown, event ID 921 has two entries for eventE37.

A comment table 930 can provide a feed tracked update of the commentsmade regarding an event, e.g., a comment on a post or a change of afield value. The columns of table 930 can include an event ID 921 (whichcorrelates to the event ID 911), the comment column 932 that stores thetext of the comment, and the time/date 933 of the comment. In oneimplementation, there can be multiple comments for each event. As shown,event ID 921 has two entries for event E37.

A user subscription table 940 can provide a list of the objects beingfollowed (subscribed to) by a user. In one implementation, each entryhas a user ID 941 of the user doing the following and one object ID 942corresponding to the object being followed. In one implementation, theobject being followed can be a record or a user. As shown, the user withID U819 is following object IDs O615 and O489. If user U819 is followingother objects, then additional entries may exist for user U819. Also asshown, user U719 is also following object O615. The user subscriptiontable 940 can be updated when a user adds or deletes an object that isbeing followed.

In one implementation, regarding a profile feed and a news feed, theseare read-only views on the event history table 910 specialized for thesefeed types. Conceptually the news feed can be a semi-join between theuser subscription table 940 and the event history table 910 on theobject IDs 912 and 942 for the user. In one aspect, these entities canhave polymorphic parents and can be subject to a number of restrictionsdetailed herein, e.g., to limit the cost of sharing checks.

In one implementation, entity feeds are modeled in the API as a feedassociate entity (e.g., AccountFeed, CaseFeed, etc). A feed associateentity includes information composed of events (e.g., event IDs) foronly one particular record type. Such a list can limit the query (andsharing checks) to a specific record type. In one aspect, thisstructuring of the entity feeds can make the query run faster. Forexample, a request for a feed of a particular account can include therecord type of account. In one implementation, an account feed table canthen be searched, where the table has account record IDs andcorresponding event IDs or pointers to particular event entries in eventhistory table 910. Since the account feed table only contains some ofthe records (not all), the query can run faster.

In one implementation, there may be objects with no events listed in theevent history table 910, even though the record is being tracked. Inthis case, the database service can return a result indicating that nofeed items exist.

A feed item can represent an individual field change of a record,creation and deletion of a record, or other events being tracked for arecord or a user. In one implementation, all of the feed items in asingle transaction (event) can be grouped together and have the sameevent ID. A single transaction relates to the operations that can beperformed in a single communication with the database. In anotherimplementation where a feed is an object of the database, a feed itemcan be a child of a profile feed, news feed, or entity feed. If a feeditem is added to multiple feeds, the feed item can be replicated as achild of each feed to which the feed item is added.

In some implementations, a comment exists as an item that depends fromfeed tracked updates, posts, status updates, and other items that areindependent of each other. Thus, a feed comment object can exist as achild object of a feed item object. For example, comment table 930 canbe considered a child table of event history table 910. In oneimplementation, a feed comment can be a child of a profile feed, newsfeed, or entity feed that is separate from other feed items.

In one implementation, viewing a feed pulls up the most recent messagesor feed tracked updates (e.g., 25) and searches the most recent (e.g.,4) comments for each feed item. The comments can be identified via thecomment table 930. In one implementation, a user can request to see morecomments, e.g., by selecting a see more link.

After feed items have been generated, they can be filtered so that onlycertain feed items are displayed, which may be tailored to a specifictenant and/or user. In one implementation, a user can specify changes toa field that meet certain criteria for the feed item to show up in afeed displayed to the user, e.g., a news feed or even an entity feeddisplayed directly to the user. In one implementation, the criteria canbe combined with other factors (e.g., number of feed items in the feed)to determine which feed items to display. For instance, if a smallnumber of feed items exist (e.g., below a threshold), then all of thefeed items may be displayed.

In one implementation, a user can specify the criteria via a query onthe feed items in his/her new feed, and thus a feed may only returnobjects of a certain type, certain types of events, feed tracked updatesabout certain fields, and other criteria mentioned herein. Messages canalso be filtered according to some criteria, which may be specified in aquery. Such an added query can be added onto a standard query that isused to create the news feed for a user. A first user could specify theusers and records that the first user is following in this manner, aswell as identify the specific feed items that the first user wants tofollow. The query could be created through a graphical interface oradded by a user directly in a query language. Other criteria couldinclude receiving only posts directed to a particular user or record, asopposed to other feed items.

In one implementation, a user can access a feed of a record if the usercan access the record. The security rules for determining whether a userhas access to a record can be performed in a variety of ways, some ofwhich are described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 8,095,531, titledMETHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS TO CUSTOM OBJECTS IN ADATABASE, by Weissman et al., issued on Jan. 10, 2012, and herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.

In one implementation, a user can edit a feed of a record if the userhas access to the record, e.g., deleting or editing a feed item. Inanother implementation, a user (besides an administrator) cannot edit afeed item, except for performing an action from which a feed item can becreated. In one example, a user is first has to have access to aparticular record and field for a feed item to be created based on anaction of the user. In this case, an administrator can be considered tobe a user with MODIFY-ALL-DATA security level. In yet anotherimplementation, a user who created the record can edit the feed.

In one implementation, the text of posts are stored in a child table(post table 950), which can be cross-referenced with event history table910. Post table 950 can include event ID 951 (to cross-reference withevent ID 911), post text 952 to store the text of the post, andtime/date 953. An entry in post table 950 can be considered a feed postobject.

VIII. Subscribing to Users and Records to Follow

As described above, a user can follow users, groups, and records.Implementations can provide mechanisms for a user to manage which users,groups, and records that the user is currently following. In oneimplementation, a user can be limited to the number of users and records(collectively or separately) that the user can follow. For example, auser may be restricted to only following 10 users and 15 records, or asanother example, 25 total. Alternatively, the user may be permitted tofollow more or less users.

In one implementation, a user can go to a page of a record and thenselect to follow that object (e.g., with a button marked “follow” or“join”). In another implementation, a user can search for a record andhave the matching records show up in a list. The search can includecriteria of records that the user might want to follow. Such criteriacan include the owner, the creation date, last comment date, andnumerical values of particular fields (e.g., an opportunity with a valueof more than $10,000).

A follow button (or other activation object) can then reside next toeach record in the resulting list, and the follow button can be selectedto start following the record. Similarly, a user can go to a profilepage of a user and select to follow the user, or a search for users canprovide a list, where one or more users can be selected for followingfrom the list. The selections of subscribing and unsubscribing can addand delete rows in table 920.

In some implementations, a subscription center acts as a centralizedplace in a database application (e.g., application platform 18) tomanage which records a user subscribes to, and which field updates theuser wants to see in feed tracked updates. The subscription center canuse a subscription table to keep track of the subscriptions of varioususers. In one implementation, the subscription center shows a list ofall the items (users and records) a user is subscribed to. In anotherimplementation, a user can unsubscribe to subscribed objects from thesubscription center.

A. Automatic Subscription

FIG. 9B shows a flowchart of an example of a method 900 forautomatically subscribing a user to an object in a database system,performed in accordance with some implementations. Any of the followingblocks can be performed wholly or partially with the database system,and in particular by one or more processor of the database system.

In block 901, one or more properties of an object stored in the databasesystem are received. The properties can be received from administratorsof the database system, or from users of the database system (which maybe an administrator of a customer organization). The properties can berecords or users, and can include any of the fields of the object thatare stored in the database system. Examples of properties of a recordinclude: an owner of the record, a user that converted the record fromone record type to another record type, whether the first user hasviewed the record, and a time the first user viewed the record. Examplesof properties of a user include: which organization (tenant) the user isassociated with, the second user's position in the same organization,and which other users the user had emailed or worked with on projects.

In block 902, the database system receives one or more criteria aboutwhich users are to automatically follow the object. Examples of thecriteria can include: an owner or creator of a record is to follow therecord, subordinates of an owner or creator of a record are to followthe record, and a user is to follow his/her manager, the user's peers,other users in the same business group as the user, and other users thatthe user has emailed or worked with on a project. The criteria can bespecific to a user or group of users (e.g., users of a tenant).

In block 903, the database system determines whether the one or moreproperties of the object satisfy the one or more criteria for a firstuser. In one implementation, this determination can occur by firstobtaining the criteria and then determining objects that satisfy thecriteria. The determination can occur periodically, at time of creationof an object, or at other times.

In block 904, if the criteria are satisfied, the object is associatedwith the first user. The association can be in a list that storesinformation as to what objects are being followed by the first user.User subscription table 940 is an example of such a list. In oneimplementation, the one or more criteria are satisfied if one propertysatisfies at least one criterion. Thus, if the criteria are that a userfollows his/her manager and the object is the user's manager, then thefirst user will follow the object.

In one implementation, a user can also be automatically unsubscribed,e.g., if a certain action happens. The action could be a change in theuser's position within the organization, e.g., a demotion or becoming acontractor. As another example, if a case gets closed, then usersfollowing the case may be automatically unsubscribed.

IX. Adding Items to a Feed

As described above, a feed includes feed items, which include feedtracked updates and messages, as defined herein. Various feeds can begenerated. For example, a feed can be generated about a record or abouta user. Then, users can view these feeds. A user can separately view afeed of a record or user, e.g., by going to a home page for the user orthe record. As described above, a user can also follow another user orrecord and receive the feed items of those feeds through a separate feedapplication. The feed application can provide each of the feeds that auser is following and, in some examples, can combine various feeds in asingle information feed.

A feed generator can refer to any software program running on aprocessor or a dedicated processor (or combination thereof) that cangenerate feed items (e.g., feed tracked updates or messages) and combinethem into a feed. In one implementation, the feed generator can generatea feed item by receiving a feed tracked update or message, identifyingwhat feeds the item should be added to, and adding the feed. Adding thefeed can include adding additional information (metadata) to the feedtracked update or message (e.g., adding a document, sender of message, adetermined importance, etc.). The feed generator can also check to makesure that no one sees feed tracked updates for data that they don't haveaccess to see (e.g., according to sharing rules). A feed generator canrun at various times to pre-compute feeds or to compute themdynamically, or combinations thereof.

In one implementation, processor 417 in FIG. 4 can identify an eventthat meets criteria for a feed tracked update, and then generate thefeed tracked update. Processor 417 can also identify a message. Forexample, an application interface can have certain mechanisms forsubmitting a message (e.g., “submit” buttons on a profile page, detailpage of a record, “comment” button on post), and use of these mechanismscan be used to identify a message to be added to a table used to createa feed or added directly to a list of feed items ready for display.

A. Adding Items to a Pre-Computed Feed

In some implementations, a feed of feed items is created before a userrequests the feed. Such an implementation can run fast, but have highoverall costs for storage. In one implementation, once a profile feed ora record feed has been created, a feed item (messages and feed trackedupdates) can be added to the feed. The feed can exist in the databasesystem in a variety of ways, such as a related list. The feed caninclude mechanisms to remove items as well as add them.

As described above, a news feed can be an aggregated feed of all therecord feeds and profile feeds to which a user has subscribed. The newsfeed can be provided on the home page of the subscribing user.Therefore, a news feed can be created by and exist for a particularuser. For example, a user can subscribe to receive entity feeds ofcertain records that are of interest to the user, and to receive profilefeeds of people that are of interest (e.g., people on a same team, thatwork for the user, are a boss of the user, etc.). A news feed can tell auser about all the actions across all the records (and people) whom haveexplicitly (or implicitly) been subscribed to via the subscriptionscenter (described above).

In one implementation, only one instance of each feed tracked update isshown on a user's news feed, even if the feed tracked update ispublished in multiple entities to which the user is subscribed. In oneaspect, there may be delays in publishing news articles. For example,the delay may be due to queued up messages for asynchronous entity feedtracked update persistence. Different feeds may have different delays(e.g., delay for new feeds, but none of profile and entity feeds). Inanother implementation, certain feed tracked updates regarding asubscribed profile feed or an entity feed are not shown because the useris not allowed access, e.g., due to sharing rules (which restrict whichusers can see which data). Also, in one implementation, data of therecord that has been updated (which includes creation) can be providedin the feed (e.g., a file or updated value of a feed can be added as aflash rendition).

B. Dynamically Generating Feeds

In some implementations, a feed generator can generate the feed itemsdynamically when a user requests to see a particular feed, e.g., aprofile feed, entity feed, or the user's news feed. In oneimplementation, the most recent feed items (e.g., top 50) are generatedfirst. In one aspect, the other feed items can be generated as abackground process, e.g., not synchronously with the request to view thefeed. However, since the background process is likely to complete beforea user gets to the next 50 feed items, the feed generation may appearsynchronous. In another aspect, the most recent feed items may or maynot include comments, e.g., that are tied to feed tracked updates orposts.

In one implementation, the feed generator can query the appropriatesubset of tables shown in FIG. 9A and/or other tables as necessary, togenerate the feed items for display. For example, the feed generator canquery the event history table 910 for the updates that occurred for aparticular record. The ID of the particular record can be matchedagainst the ID of the record. In one implementation, changes to a wholeset of records can be stored in one table. The feed generator can alsoquery for status updates, posts, and comments, each of which can bestored in different parts of a record or in separate tables, as shown inFIG. 9A. What gets recorded in the entity event history table (as wellas what is displayed) can be controlled by a feed settings page insetup, which can be configurable by an administrator and can be the samefor the entire organization, as is described above for custom feeds.

In one implementation, there can be two feed generators. For example,one generator can generate the record and profile feeds and anothergenerator can generate news feeds. For the former, the feed generatorcan query identifiers of the record or the user profile. For the latter,the news feed generator can query the subscribed profile feeds andrecord feeds, e.g., user subscription table 940. In one implementation,the feed generator looks at a person's subscription center to decidewhich feeds to query for and return a list of feed items for the user.The list can be de-duped, e.g., by looking at the event number andvalues for the respective table, such as field name or ID, comment ID,or other information.

C. Adding Information to Feed Tracked Update Tables

FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 1000 for savinginformation to feed tracking tables, performed in accordance with someimplementations. In one implementation, some of the blocks may beperformed regardless of whether a specific event or part of an event(e.g., only one field of an update is being tracked) is being tracked.In various implementations, a processor or set of processors (hardwiredor programmed) can perform method 1000 and any other method describedherein.

In block 1010, data indicative of an event is received. The data mayhave a particular identifier that specifies the event. For example,there may be a particular identifier for a field update. In anotherimplementation, the transaction may be investigated for keywordsidentifying the event (e.g., terms in a query indicating a close, changefield, or create operations).

In block 1020, it is determined whether the event is being tracked forinclusion into feed tracked update tables. The determination of what isbeing tracked can be based on a tenant's configuration as describedabove. In one aspect, the event has an actor (person performing anevent), and an object of the event (e.g., record or user profile beingchanged).

In block 1030, the event is written to an event history table (e.g.,table 910). In one implementation, this feed tracking operation can beperformed in the same transaction that performs a save operation forupdating a record. In another implementation, a transaction includes atleast two roundtrip database operations, with one roundtrip being thedatabase save (write), and the second database operation being thesaving of the update in the feed tracked update table. In oneimplementation, the event history table is chronological. In anotherimplementation, if user A posts on user B's profile, then user A isunder the “created by” 913 and user B is under the object ID 912.

In block 1040, a field change table (e.g., field change table 920) canbe updated with an entry having the event identifier and fields thatwere changed in the update. In one implementation, the field changetable is a child table of the event history table. This table caninclude information about each of the fields that are changed. Forexample, for an event that changes the name and balance for an accountrecord, an entry can have the event identifier, the old and new name,and the old and new balance. Alternatively, each field change can be ina different row with the same event identifier. The field name or ID canalso be included to determine which field the values are associated.

In block 1050, when the event is a post, a post table (e.g., post table950) can be updated with an entry having the event identifier and textof the post. In one implementation, the field change table is a childtable of the event history table. In another implementation, the textcan be identified in the transaction (e.g., a query command), strippedout, and put into the entry at the appropriate column. The varioustables described herein can be combined or separated in various ways.For example, the post table and the field change table may be part ofthe same table or distinct tables, or may include overlapping portionsof data.

In block 1060, a comment is received for an event and the comment isadded to a comment table (e.g., comment table 930). The comment could befor a post or an update of a record, from which a feed tracked updatecan be generated for display. In one implementation, the text can beidentified in the transaction (e.g., a query command), stripped out, andput into the entry at the appropriate column.

D. Reading Information from Feed Tracked Update Tables

FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 1100 for reading afeed item as part of generating a feed for display, performed inaccordance with some implementations. In one implementation, the feeditem may be read as part of creating a feed for a record.

In block 1110, a query is received for an events history table (e.g.,event history table 910) for events related to a particular record. Inone implementation, the query includes an identifier of the record forwhich the feed is being requested. In various implementations, the querymay be initiated from a detail page of the record, a home page of a userrequesting the record feed, or from a listing of different records(e.g., obtained from a search or from browsing).

In block 1120, the user's security level can be checked to determine ifthe user can view the record feed. Typically, a user can view a recordfeed, if the user can access the record. This security check can beperformed in various ways. In one implementation, a first table ischecked to see if the user has a classification (e.g., a security levelthat allows him to view records of the given type). In anotherimplementation, a second table is checked to see if the user is allowedto see the specific record. The first table can be checked before thesecond table, and both tables can be different sections of a same table.If the user has requested the feed from the detail page of the record,one implementation can skip the security level check for the recordsince the check was already done when the user requested to view thedetail page.

In one implementation, a security check is determined upon each requestto view the record feed. Thus, whether or not a feed item is displayedto a user is determined based on access rights, e.g., when the userrequests to see a feed of a record or a news feed of all the objects theuser is following. In this manner, if a user's security changes, a feedautomatically adapts to the user's security level when it is changed. Inanother implementation, a feed can be computed before being requestedand a subsequent security check can be made to determine whether theperson still has access right to view the feed items. The security(access) check may be at the field level, as well as at the recordlevel.

In block 1130, if the user can access the record, a field level securitytable can be checked to determine whether the user can see particularfields. In one implementation, only those fields are displayed to theuser. Alternatively, a subset of those the user has access to isdisplayed. The field level security check may optionally be performed atthe same time and even using the same operation as the record levelcheck. In addition, the record type check may also be performed at thistime. If the user can only see certain fields, then any feed itemsrelated to those fields (e.g., as determined from field change table920) can be removed from the feed being displayed.

In block 1140, the feed items that the user has access to are displayed.In one implementation, a predetermined number (e.g., 20) of feed itemsare displayed at a time. The method can display the first 20 feed itemsthat are found to be readable, and then determine others while the useris viewing the first 20. In another implementation, the other feed itemsare not determined until the user requests to see them, e.g., byactivating a see more link.

FIG. 12 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 1200 for reading afeed item of a profile feed for display, performed in accordance withsome implementations. In one implementation, the query includes anidentifier of the user profile feed that is being requested. Certainblocks may be optional, as is also true for other methods describedherein. For example, security checks may not be performed.

In block 1210, a query is directed to an event history table (e.g.,event history table 910) for events having a first user as the actor ofthe event (e.g., creation of an account) or on which the event occurred(e.g., a post to the user's profile). In various implementations, thequery may be initiated by a second user from the user's profile page, ahome page of a user requesting the profile feed (e.g., from a list ofusers being followed), or from a listing of different users (e.g.,obtained from a search or from browsing). Various mechanisms fordetermining aspects of events and obtaining information from tables canbe the same across any of the methods described herein.

In block 1220, a security check may also be performed on whether thesecond user can see the first user's profile. In one implementation anyuser can see the profile of another user of the same tenant, and block1220 is optional.

In block 1230, a security (access) check can be performed for the feedtracked updates based on record types, records, and/or fields, as wellsecurity checks for messages. In one implementation, only the feedtracked updates related to records that the person has updated are theones that need security check as the feed items about the user arereadable by any user of the same tenant. Users of other tenants are notnavigable, and thus security can be enforced at a tenant level. Inanother implementation, messages can be checked for keywords or links toa record or field that the second user does not have access.

As users can have different security classifications, it is importantthat a user with a low-level security cannot see changes to records thathave been performed by a user with high-level security. In oneimplementation, each feed item can be checked and then the viewableresults displayed, but this can be inefficient. For example, such asecurity check may take a long time, and the second user would like toget some results sooner rather than later. The following blocksillustrate one implementation of how security might be checked for afirst user that has a lot of feed items, but the second user cannot seemost of them. This implementation can be used for all situations, butcan be effective in the above situation.

In block 1231, a predetermined number of entries are retrieved from theevent history table (e.g., starting from the most recent, which may bedetermined from the event identifier). The retrieved entries may just beones that match the user ID of the query. In one implementation, entriesare checked to find the entries that are associated with the user andwith a record (i.e. not just posts to the user account). In anotherimplementation, those entries associated with the user are allowed to beviewed, e.g., because the second user can see the profile of the firstuser as determined in block 1220.

In block 1232, the record identifiers are organized by type and the typeis checked on whether the second user can see the record types. Otherchecks such as whether a record was manually shared (e.g., by the owner)can also be performed. In one implementation, the queries for thedifferent types can be done in parallel.

In block 1233, if a user can see the record type, then a check can beperformed on the specific record. In one implementation, if a user cansee a record type, then the user can see all of the records of thattype, and so this block can be skipped. In another implementation, thesharing model can account for whether a user below the second user(e.g., the second user is a manager) can see the record. In such animplementation, the second user may see such a record. In oneimplementation, if a user cannot see a specific record, then comments onthat record are also not viewable.

In block 1234, field level sharing rules can be used to determinewhether the second user can see information about an update or value ofcertain fields. In one implementation, messages can be analyzed todetermine if reference to a particular field name is made. If so, thenfield level security can be applied to the messages.

In block 1280, blocks 1231-1234 are repeated until a stopping criterionis met. In one implementation, the stopping criteria may be when amaximum number (e.g., 100) of entries that are viewable have beenidentified. In another implementation, the stopping criteria can be thata maximum number (e.g., 500) of entries from the entity feed trackedupdate table have been analyzed, regardless of whether the entries areviewable or not.

In one implementation, a news feed can be generated as a combination ofthe profile feeds and the entity feeds, e.g., as described above. In oneimplementation, a list of records and user profiles for the queries inblocks 1110 and 1210 can be obtained from user subscription table 940.In one implementation, there is a maximum number of objects that can befollowed.

E. Partial Pre-Computing of Items for a Feed

FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 1300 of storingevent information for efficient generation of feed items to display in afeed, performed in accordance with some implementations. In variousimplementations, method 1300 can be performed each time an event iswritten to the event history table, or periodically based on some othercriteria (e.g., every minute, after five updates have been made, etc.).

In block 1310, data indicative of an event is received. The data may bethe same and identified in the same way as described for block 1010. Theevent may be written to an event history table (e.g., table 910).

In block 1320, the object(s) associated with the event are identified.In various implementations, the object may be identified by according tovarious criteria, such as the record being changed, the user changingthe record, a user posting a message, and a user whose profile themessage is being posted to.

In block 1330, the users following the event are determined. In oneimplementation, one or more objects that are associated with the eventare used to determine the users following the event. In oneimplementation, a subscription table (e.g., table 940) can be used tofind the identified objects. The entries of the identified objects cancontain an identifier (e.g., user ID 941) of each the users followingthe object

In block 1340, the event and the source of the event, e.g., a record(for a record update) or a posting user (for a user-generated post) arewritten to a news feed table along with an event identifier. In oneimplementation, such information is added as a separate entry into thenews feed table along with the event ID. In another implementation, eachof the events for a user is added as a new column for the row of theuser. In yet another implementation, more columns (e.g., columns fromthe other tables) can be added.

News feed table 960 shows an example of such a table with user ID 961and event ID or pointer 962. The table can be organized in any manner.One difference from event history table 910 is that one event can havemultiple entries (one for each subscriber) in the news feed table 960.In one implementation, all of the entries for a same user are groupedtogether, e.g., as shown. The user U819 is shown as following events E37and E90, and thus any of the individual feed items resulting from thoseevents. In another implementation, any new entries are added at the endof the table. Thus, all of the followers for a new event can be added asa group. In such an implementation, the event IDs would generally begrouped together in the table. Of course, the table can be sorted in anysuitable manner.

In an implementation, if the number of users is small, then the feeditems in one or more of the tables may be written as part of the samewrite transaction. In one implementation, the determination of smalldepends on the number of updates performed for the event (e.g., amaximum number of update operations may be allowed), and if moreoperations are performed, then the addition of the feed items isperformed. In one aspect, the number of operations can be counted by thenumber of rows to be updated, including the rows of the record (whichdepends on the update event), and the rows of the feed tracked updatetables, which can depend on the number of followers. In anotherimplementation, if the number of users is large, the rest of the feeditems can be created by batch. In one implementation, the feed items arewritten as part of a different transaction, i.e., by batch job.

In one implementation, security checks can be performed before an entryis added to the news feed table 960. In this manner, security checks canbe performed during batch jobs and may not have to be performed at thetime of requesting a news feed. In one implementation, the event can beanalyzed and if access is not allowed to a feed item of the event, thenan entry is not added. In one aspect, multiple feed items for a sameuser may not result from a same event (e.g., by how an event is definedin table 910), and thus there is no concern about a user missing a feeditem that he/she should be able to view.

In block 1350, a request for a news feed is received from a user. In oneimplementation, the request is obtained when a user navigates to theuser's home page. In another implementation, the user selects a table,link, or other page item that causes the request to be sent.

In block 1360, the news feed table and other tables are accessed toprovide displayable feed items of the news feed. The news feed can thenbe displayed. In one implementation, the news feed table can then bejoined with the event history table to determine the feed items. Forexample, the news feed table 960 can be searched for entries with aparticular user ID. These entries can be used to identify event entriesin event history table 910, and the proper information from any childtables can be retrieved. The feed items (e.g., feed tracked updates andmessages) can then be generated for display.

In one implementation, the most recent feed items (e.g., 100 mostrecent) are determined first. The other feed items may then bedetermined in a batch process. Thus, the feed item that a user is mostlikely to view can come up first, and the user may not recognize thatthe other feed items are being done in batch. In one implementation, themost recent feed items can be gauged by the event identifiers. Inanother implementation, the feed items with a highest importance levelcan be displayed first. The highest importance being determined by oneor more criteria, such as, who posted the feed item, how recently, howrelated to other feed items, etc.

In one implementation where the user subscription table 940 is used todynamically create a news feed, the query would search the subscriptiontable, and then use the object IDs to search the event history table(one search for each object the user is following). Thus, the query forthe news feed can be proportional to the number of objects that one wassubscribing to. The news feed table allows the intermediate block ofdetermining the object IDs to be done at an earlier stage so that therelevant events are already known. Thus, the determination of the feedis no longer proportional to the number of object being followed.

In some implementations, a news feed table can include a pointer (asopposed to an event identifier) to the event history table for eachevent that is being followed by the user. In this manner, the evententries can immediately be retrieved without having to perform a searchon the event history table. Security checks can be made at this time,and the text for the feed tracked updates can be generated.

X. Display of a Feed

Feeds include messages and feed tracked updates and can show up in manyplaces in an application interface with the database system. In oneimplementation, feeds can be scoped to the context of the page on whichthey are being displayed. For example, how a feed tracked update ispresented can vary depending on which page it is being displayed (e.g.,in news feeds, on a detail page of a record, and even based on how theuser ended up at a particular page). In another implementation, only afinite number of feed items are displayed (e.g., 50). In oneimplementation, there can be a limit specifically on the number of feedtracked updates or messages displayed. Alternatively, the limit can beapplied to particular types of feed tracked updates or messages. Forexample, only the most recent changes (e.g., 5 most recent) for a fieldmay be displayed. Also, the number of fields for which changes aredisplayed can also be limited. Such limits can also be placed on profilefeeds and news feeds. In one implementation, feed items may also besubject to certain filtering criteria before being displayed, e.g., asdescribed below.

XI. Filtering and Searching Feeds

It can be possible that a user subscribes to many users and records,which can cause a user's news feed to be very long and include many feeditems. In such instances, it can be difficult for the user to read everyfeed item, and thus some important or interesting feed items may not beread. In some implementations, filters may be used to determine whichfeed items are added to a feed or displayed in the feed.

FIG. 14 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 1400 for creating acustom feed for users of a database system using filtering criteria,performed in accordance with some implementations. Any of the followingblocks can be performed wholly or partially with the database system,and in particular by one or more processor of the database system.

In block 1410, one or more criteria specifying which feed items are tobe displayed to a first user are received from a tenant. In oneimplementation, the criteria specify which items to add to the customfeed. For example, the criteria could specify to only include feed itemsfor certain fields of a record, messages including certain keywords, andother criteria mentioned herein. In another implementation, the criteriaspecify which items to remove from the custom feed. For example, thecriteria could specify not to include feed items about certain fields orincluding certain keywords.

In block 1420, the database system identifies feed items of one or moreselected objects that match the criteria. The feed items can be storedin the database, e.g., in one or more of the tables of FIG. 9A. In oneimplementation, the one or more selected objects are the objects thatthe first user is following. In another implementation, the one or moreselected objects is a single record whose record feed the first user isrequesting.

In block 1430, the feed items that match the criteria are displayed tothe first user in the custom feed. The generation of text for a feedtracked update can occur after the identification of the feed items(e.g., data for a field change) and before the display of the finalversion of the feed item.

In one implementation, the criteria are received before a feed item iscreated. In another implementation, the criteria are received from thefirst user. In one aspect, the criteria may only be used for determiningfeeds to display to the first user. In yet another implementation, thecriteria are received from a first tenant and apply to all of the usersof the first tenant. Also, in an implementation where a plurality ofcriteria are specified, the criteria may be satisfied for a feed item ifone criterion is satisfied.

Some implementations can provide mechanisms to search for feed items ofinterest. For example, the feed items can be searched by keyword, e.g.,as entered by a user. As another example, a tab (or other selectiondevice) can show feed items about or from a particular user. In oneimplementation, only messages (or even just comments) from a particularuser can be selected. Besides searching for feed items that matchcriteria, one also could search for a particular feed item.

XII. Interacting with Multiple Records Via a Publisher and anInformation Feed

FIG. 15 shows a flowchart of an example of a computer-implemented method1500 for interacting with one or more records from a single userinterface in an online social network, performed in accordance with someimplementations. FIG. 15 may be described with reference to FIGS. 19-30.At block 1504, a computing device or any number of computing devicescooperating to perform the method 1500 may provide data to generate auser interface including a publisher. The publisher may be configured topublish information to an information feed. In some implementations, theuser interface may simultaneously display the information feed with thepublisher. The user interface may be part of a page layout for a user,record, or other entity in the online social network.

FIG. 19 shows an example of a record with a user interface including apublisher 1902 and an information feed 1904, according to someimplementations. In FIG. 19, an accounts page 1906 for Dell is in theform of a graphical user interface (GUI) as displayed on a displaydevice. A user may navigate to the accounts page 1906 by selecting a tab1908 from among a plurality of tabs in the user interface. A request tointeract with a record may be generated in response to a user selectinga button, link, tab, or menu selection in the publisher 1902. In someimplementations, the record may be related to a parent record that isassociated with the accounts page 1906. The publisher may include one ormore publisher actions 1910 to allow a user to make a request tointeract with the record. Examples of such publisher actions 1910 asdisplayed in the publisher 1902 include “Post”, “Log a Task”, and “NewContact”. As illustrated in the example in FIG. 19, selecting “More”initiates a drop-down menu 1912 to allow a user to select from morepublisher actions 1910 to interact with a record. Such additionalpublisher actions 1910 include “Link”, “Create Case”, “File”, “CreateListening Campaign”, “DSR”, “New Oppty”, and “Poll”. In addition, thepublisher 1902 in the accounts page 1906 includes a text box 1914 forentry of a message. The publisher 1902 also includes a share button 1916to transmit data from the publisher 1902, including the message in thetext box 1912, to one or more computing devices and stored in one ormore database systems. Some of the data may be presented in a feed itemin the information feed 1904 in response to the transmission of datafrom the publisher 1902.

FIG. 20 shows an example of a publisher 2000, according to someimplementations. The publisher 2000 is an interface that allows a userto publish information that will be published into a feed. The publisher2000 may provide an interface displaying any one of a variety of designsor layouts, which can be programmed according to different preferencesor requirements. For example, the interface of the publisher 2000 mayvary depending on whether the publisher 2000 is being displayed on a webpage, on a mobile device, on an automobile display, etc. Regardless ofthe design or layout of the interface, the publisher 2000 cancommunicate with the same application programming interface (API) toperform the basic functionality of the publisher 2000 of publishinginformation into a feed.

An example of an interface for the publisher 2000 is shown in FIG. 20.The publisher 2000 may include a plurality of publisher actions 2002, apublisher space 2004, a message body 2006, a publishing button 2008, anda share dropdown menu 2010. Each of the publisher actions 2002 may be inthe form of GUI buttons, links, tabs, channels, or menu items. Publisheractions 2002 may be enabled by the API for the publisher 2000. Moreover,publisher actions 2002 may be configured to perform a create or updateoperation for or with reference to a record.

Selection of one of the publisher actions 2002 may cause the publisherspace 2004 to display data associated with the publisher action 2002. Byway of example, the publisher space 2004 can include a form having aplurality of data fields 2012 for creating a new contact, as illustratedin FIG. 20. In another example, the publisher space 2004 may includecontent from one or more data sources, such as a web page. In stillanother example, the publisher space 2004 may expose data from anapplication hosted on a third-party platform, such as Heroku™.

Data provided in the publisher space 2004 may be published into aninformation feed. In FIG. 20, the plurality of data fields 2012 allows auser to input information related to the creation of a new contact. Someof the data fields 2012 may be greyed out with default values provided.Some of the data fields 2012 may be starred to indicate that they arerequired fields. Such information in the data fields 2012 may bepublished along with a message provided in the message body 2006. Themessage can include any alpha-numeric or other character-based userinputs such as words, phrases, statements, questions, emotionalexpressions, and/or symbols. Selection of the publishing button 2008publishes the information provided in the data fields 2012 and themessage body 2006 to appropriate information feeds. What entities theuser wishes to share such information with can be provided by selectionof entities from the share dropdown menu 2010.

FIGS. 21A-21D show an example of a user interface with a publisher 2108and an information feed 2104 for mobile device applications, accordingto some implementations. An API enables the publisher 2108 to interfacewith a database system for any number of applications, including mobiledevice applications. In some implementations, an entity may develop theAPI for the publisher 2108 so that any customer, partner, organization,or other user can write applications that utilize the API.

In FIG. 21A, a user interface for a mobile device may include apublisher button 2102 and an information feed 2104. The publisher button2102 enables a user to access a publisher 2108 shown in FIG. 21B. Thepublisher 2108 may cover over a portion of the information feed 2104 inthe user interface of the mobile device. The user may select from amonga plurality of publisher actions 2106 in the publisher 2108. Publisheractions 2106 include “Post”, “Photo”, “Files”, “Task”, “Contact”, and“Check-In”. Selection of a publisher action 2106 may cause the publisherto display content and/or data fields associated with the publisheraction 2106. As shown in FIG. 21C, selection of the contact publisheraction 2106 causes the publisher 2108 to display a text box 2110 forposting a message and a plurality of data fields 2112 for creating a newcontact. In some implementations of mobile device applications,selection of the publisher action 2106 causes the user interface todisplay a keyboard 2114. After populating the data fields 2112 and textbox 2110 with information, a user may select the share button 2116 topublish the information to one or more appropriate feeds.

A publisher may be configured to publish information to one or moreinformation feeds by creating a visual feedback element, such as a feeditem. FIG. 22 shows an example of a feed item 2200, according to someimplementations. The feed item 2200 may include data submitted from apublisher. The feed item 2200 may appear as part of an information feedin a user interface. Here, the feed item 2200 includes the identity ofthe entity 2202 updating or creating the record, a message 2204accompanying data from the publisher, the name of the record 2206 beingupdated or created, an attachment 2208, and topics 2210. Other data fromthe publisher may also be presented in the feed item 2200. In someimplementations, the name of the record 2206 may be an actionableselection or link that causes the user interface to display a pagelayout for the record. What information is displayed in the feed item2200 may depend on contextual factors, such the profile of the entityviewing the feed item 2200 and the page layout on which the feed item2200 is displayed.

FIGS. 23A-23B show an example of a user interface with a publisher 2308and a feed item 2320 in an information feed 2304 for mobile deviceapplications, according to some implementations. Similar to thepublisher 2108 described in FIGS. 21A-21D, the publisher 2308 allows auser to input information into data fields 2312 and publish suchinformation to an information feed 2304 using the share button 2316. Thepublisher 2308 may include additional publisher buttons 2318, such as anattachment button and a message post button to accompany the publishedinformation. In FIG. 23B, a feed item 2320 containing at least some ofthe information from the publisher 2308 may be presented in theinformation feed 2304. Here, field data 2322 is provided in the feeditem 2320 for a task provided from the data fields 2312 in the publisher2308.

Returning to FIG. 15, at block 1508, a request to interact with a firstrecord is received from the publisher at the one or more computingdevices cooperating to perform the method 1500. The first record isrelated to a parent record stored in the database system. The request atblock 1508 may be received from an entity via the publisher, such as auser who has a user profile in the online social network, via the user'ssmartphone, desktop, laptop, tablet, or other mobile computing device.In other instances, the request may be received from a group, anorganization, or a record in the online social network.

In some implementations, the method 1500 may further include determiningthat the entity has permission to interact with the first record.Conventionally, CRM systems limit the interaction with records to systemadministrators and owners of the records. As such, other users or groupscannot directly interact with a record without the assistance orpermission of an owner or system administrator. Depending on the accesspermissions of an entity, limitations may be imposed on the types ofrecords that the entity can interact with, and the page layouts that theentity is able to view for a specific type of record.

Determining whether an entity has permission to interact with the firstrecord can at least include identifying one or more entity attributes ofa profile of the entity. Attributes of the profile of an entity caninclude, for example, an entity's role or definition, an entity'srelationship information, an entity's preferences, an entity's usagepatterns, and other metadata associated with an entity's profile. Forexample, an entity's role can indicate membership to a team thatcollaborates on a certain account record, and permission to interactwith a record can be determined if the entity is a collaborator to thataccount record. In another example, an entity's role can indicate a jobtitle in an organizational hierarchy. Depending on where the entitystands in the organizational hierarchy, the entity may or may not havepermission to interact with a certain record.

Additionally, determining whether an entity has permission to interactwith the first record can at least include identifying one or morerecord attributes of the first record. Attributes of the first recordcan indicate the type of record, such as whether the record is a lead, acase, an account, an opportunity, a task, an event, a contact, or acustom object. Attributes of the first record can also provide othermetadata about the record. For example, a type of record can be a case,and the case can also be a technical issue case (e.g., bug) or an orderprocessing case (e.g., deal) for an account. One entity may be permittedto interact with the technical issue case but not the order processingcase, and vice versa.

Moreover, determining whether an entity has permission to interact withthe first record can at least include comparing the one or more entityattributes with the one or more record attributes. For example, if anentity is identified as Vice President of Sales, then he can access andinteract with all cases for an account. If an entity is identified as aSales Associate, then he can access and interact with limited types ofcases for an account, such as cases involving a particular product, forexample.

In some implementations, even if an entity has permission to interactwith the first record, the types of interactions can be limited. Suchlimitations can be established, for example, by a system administrator,an owner of the first record, or an organization's security/permissionspolicy, among others. In some implementations, an entity may berestricted to perform only certain actions for interacting with thefirst record. Thus, a publisher in the user interface may disable, hide,or otherwise not display at least some publisher actions from theentity. For example, one entity may be able to view, update, and createopportunities related to an account, and another entity may be able toonly view and update opportunities related to the same account. In someimplementations, an entity may be restricted to view only certain typesof information or options for interacting with a record. For example,one entity may be able to update all the terms for a contract, and adifferent entity may be able to update only certain terms for the samecontract. In another example, one entity may be able to view public andprivate information related to an account, and a different entity may beable to only view publicly available information related to the sameaccount.

In some implementations, the request to interact with a first record mayinclude a request to create a record, a request to delete a record, arequest to update a record, a request to convert a record, a request toattach a file to a record, a request to download data from a record, arequest to upload data to a record, a request to view informationassociated with a record, and a request to otherwise perform anoperation having a reference to the record. For example, such operationscan include but is not limited to drafting an email, approving orrejecting a workflow approval, writing a note, creating a poll, logginga call, logging a task, logging a bug, creating an event, sending anemail, submitting an email for approval, posting to a portal, posting toa social network, adding a link, adding a “Thanks”, etc. In someimplementations, the first record may be a customer relationshipmanagement (CRM) object. A CRM object can include but is not limited toa lead, a case, an account, an opportunity, a task, a contact, acampaign, a contract, an event, a custom object, and a Visualforce page.The request to interact with the first record may be generated inresponse to a user selecting a publisher or custom action in the userinterface.

The request to interact with the first record may be a request tointeract with a child record related to a parent record stored in adatabase system. Here, the parent-child relationship refers to ahierarchical relationship among records in a database system. Forexample, an opportunity can be a child in relation to an account, whilethe account is the parent. In another example, a task can be a child inrelation to a lead, while the lead is the parent.

FIG. 24 shows an example of a record with a user interface including apublisher 2402 and an information feed 2404, according to someimplementations. The publisher 2402 includes a plurality of publisheractions 2406, a text box 2408 for a message, a dropdown menu 2410 fordisplaying additional publisher actions 2406, and a share button 2412.The publisher 2402 may include at least one custom action from among theplurality of publisher actions 2406. The custom action may be an actionenabled by the API for the publisher 2402. In some implementations, thecustom action may be customized by an entity utilizing the API.Additional details regarding the customization of the custom action isprovided in Section IX below.

In FIG. 24, an accounts page 2416 for Cirrus, Inc. includes thepublisher 2402 with the plurality of publisher actions 2406. In someimplementations, the same publisher 2402 may appear in other pages fordifferent records and entities. In some instances, the publisher actions2406 may even be the same. A user may navigate through multiple pagesfor different records and entities displaying a single or similar userinterface.

Here, a user may initiate a request to interact with a record byselecting the publisher action 2406 “Contact” to initiate creation of anew contact. The new contact is a child record in relation to theaccount, and the account is the parent record. It is understood that anyof the publisher actions 2406 may be selected to communicate with an APIand initiate a request to interact with a record.

Returning to FIG. 15, at block 1512, first information associated withthe first record is received from the publisher at the one or morecomputing devices. The first record may be stored or configured to bestored in a database system. The first information may be provided bythe entity (e.g., user) requesting to interact with the first record atblock 1508. The first information may be communicated to one or morecomputing devices performing the method 1500, for instance, as a signalnetwork 14 in FIGS. 1A and 1B. In some implementations, the entity mayprovide field data in one or more data fields associated with a selectedpublisher action. For example, an event record may include field datasuch as date and time of the event, the names of invitees, and thevenue. In another example, a task may include field data such as thename of the task, name or names of the assignee to the task, and a duedate.

FIG. 25 shows an example of the record in FIG. 24 with a user interfacedisplaying a plurality of empty data fields 2418 upon selection of apublisher action 2406, according to some implementations. As illustratedin FIG. 25, selection of the publisher action 2406 for creating a newcontact causes the publisher 2402 to display data fields 2418, includingFirst Name, Last Name, Title, Account, Phone, Email, LinkedIn, andTwitter. Some data fields 2418 for the creation of the new contact maybe populated with default values, or even restricted with predefinedvalues designated by a system administrator in accordance with asecurity clearance/permissions model. For example, the Account datafield is restricted to establish a record relationship for the newcontact with the parent record, namely the Cirrus, Inc. account. Thepublisher 2402 further displays a share dropdown menu 2420 for sharingthe publisher information with one or more selected entities as well asa share button 2412 to publish the publisher information to one or moreinformation feeds of at least the selected entities.

FIG. 26 shows an example of the record in FIG. 25 with a user interfacedisplaying a plurality of filled data fields 2418 upon receiving userinput, according to some implementations. A user may input values intoeach of the data fields 2418. In some implementations, the values ineach of the data fields 2418 may be machine- or system-generated. Thevalues in each of the data fields 2418 may be retrieved from databaseservices such as Data.com® or Database.com™. The values in each of thedata fields 2418 are used to perform the requested interaction with arecord, namely to create a child record. Further, the values in each ofthe data fields 2418 provide information to be stored in a databasesystem. A user may also include a message in the text box 2408, such asa comment, which may describe additional contextual information aboutthe new contact. This can include why the contact is useful orsignificant. In this way, a user can use a publisher 2402 tosimultaneously create a contact record and generate a comment toaccompany the creation of the contact record. The message in the textbox 2408 and the information in the data fields 2418 may be submittedvia the publisher 2402 by selecting the share button 2412.

Returning to FIG. 15, at block 1516, the database system is updatedbased on the first information associated with the first record. Updatesto the first record may include creation of the record, deletion of therecord, editing data associated with the record, logging an action tothe record, conversion of the record, attachment of a file to therecord, downloading data from the record, uploading data to the record,viewing of information associated with the record, and otherwiseperforming an operation having a reference to the record. In otherwords, the first information associated with the first record at block1516 is used to perform the requested interaction at block 1508. Uponreceiving the first information, the one or more computing devices cancreate or update a row representing the first record in the databasesystem. For example, in logging an action to the record, an update maybe performed after an email is sent and then logged to the record, orafter a post is submitted to an online social network like Twitter® orFacebook® and then logged to the record. In effect, the publisher canperform actions that have behaviors outside of the network domain of therecord. Nevertheless, such actions are logged to the record.

At block 1520, a feed item associated with the update is presented forinclusion in an information feed in the user interface. The feed itemincludes one or more actionable selections providing a reference to thefirst record. The reference to the actionable selection can be a displaycomponent such as a menu, link, or graphical button. In someimplementations, the reference to the first record can open a page inthe user interface for the first record. In this way, a user cannavigate to the first record directly from the feed item. It is notnecessary for a user to navigate between records by navigating betweendifferent user interfaces.

In some implementations, the reference to the first record can performfurther actions with respect to the first record. In addition to openingthe first record, such actions may include but is not limited tocreating a second record, deleting the first record, updating the firstrecord, converting the first record, attaching a file to the firstrecord, downloading data from the first record, uploading data to thefirst record, viewing information associated with the first record, andotherwise performing an operation having reference to the first record.More specifically, examples of actions may include creating a task,updating a task, creating an opportunity, updating an opportunity,creating a contact, updating a contact, creating a case, updating acase, creating an account, updating an account, creating an event,updating an event, logging a call, logging a task, logging a bug,approving a workflow approval, rejecting a workflow approval, creatingan email, writing a note, creating a poll, closing a case, completing atask, closing a bug, sending an email, submitting an email for approval,posting to a portal, posting to a social network, adding a link, andadding a “Thanks”. Thus, actions may be performed directly from the feeditem upon the first record without navigating to another page.

The one or more actionable selections may reference the publisher toprovide more data fields that enables a user to further interact withthe first record. In some implementations, selecting the one or moreactionable selections may cause the publisher to be operable to receivesecond information. The second information may be used to perform one ofthe operations on the first record. Or, the second information may beused to interact with the second record. The second record may have aparent-child relationship with the first record. In someimplementations, the second record is a child of the first record. Inthis way, providing a reference to perform further actions from the feeditem allows a user to perform actions directly within the informationfeed itself.

FIG. 27 shows an example of the record in FIG. 26 with a user interfaceincluding the information feed 2404 with a feed item 2422 presentingupdated data from the publisher 2402 and a link 2424 to a child record,according to some implementations. The feed item 2422 is presented atthe top of the information feed 2404 for the parent record. The feeditem 2422 can include information regarding the interaction on therecord that was performed. The feed item 2422 in FIG. 27 as displayed inthe information feed 2404 of the accounts page 2416 indicates that theuser “Daniel Cheng created a contact”. In some instances, the feed item2422 can include additional data provided in data fields 2418 in thepublisher 2402. However, not all data provided in the data fields 2418are necessarily contained in the feed item 2422. How such data isrendered in the feed item 2422 may depend on contextual factors, such asthe profile of the user viewing the feed item 2422 and the page layoutin which the feed item 2422 is displayed. The feed item 2422 alsoincludes an actionable selection or link 2424 to the created or updatedrecord. In FIG. 27, the newly created contacts record is displayed as alink 2424 “Chuy Santiago”. A user may also perform various actions onthe feed item 2422, including posting a comment to the feed item 2422,liking or disliking the feed item 2422, or sharing the feed item 2422.Such actions may affect the same feed item 2422 as presented in otherrelated feeds.

A user may select the link 2424 to advance from the account record forCirrus, Inc. to the contact record for Chuy Santiago. This allows a userto efficiently navigate to another record directly from the informationfeed 2404.

Returning to FIG. 15, at block 1524, a user input is received selectingthe one or more actionable selections. The one or more actionableselections may be a menu, graphical button, or link configured toprovide a reference to the first record. The reference to the firstrecord may perform an action with respect to the first record, such asopening the first record in the user interface, creating a second recordfrom the first record, updating the first record, deleting the firstrecord, converting the first record, attaching a file to the firstrecord, downloading data from the first record, uploading data to thefirst record, viewing information associated with the first record, orotherwise performing an operation having a reference to the firstrecord. For example, the actionable selection can be a reply button torespond to an email. In another example, the actionable selection can bean approve button to respond to a workflow approval request. In someimplementations, the reference to the first record may cause thepublisher to be operable to receive second information associated with asecond record.

At block 1528, second information associated with the first record or asecond record is received from the publisher at the one or morecomputing devices. The second record may be a child record of the firstrecord or of the parent record. The second record may be stored orconfigured to be stored in the database system. In some implementations,the second record may be a CRM object, such as a lead, a case, anaccount, an opportunity, a task, a contact, a campaign, a contract, anevent, a custom object, and a Visualforce page. In some implementations,the second information may be provided in one or more data fieldsassociated with the first record or the second record. The values in theone or more data fields may be user-defined or system-generated. In someimplementations, values may be retrieved from a database service such asData.com® or Database.com™.

At block 1532, the database system is updated based on the secondinformation. Updates to the first record or second record may be madevia the publisher without leaving the user interface, which can includethe publisher and the information feed. Thus, multiple interactions maybe performed with one or more records from a single user interface.

In FIG. 15, in one example, an app server 288 in the on-demand serviceenvironment 200 of FIGS. 2A and 2B includes one or more processorsconfigured to perform part or all of blocks 1504-1532. In otherinstances, additional servers cooperate with app server 288 to performthe blocks. When first information, for example, is received at block1512, such information can be received by a server over a data networkfrom a user operating a user system 12 as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Inother instances, such data is received from a proxy server on behalf ofa user or other data source. Various implementations of method 1500 arepossible, such that any of the servers described above with reference toFIG. 2B or other computing devices disclosed herein can be configured toreceive and process user inputs and information updates in accordancewith method 1500.

In some implementations, interactions with multiple records through acommon user interface can be exemplified in the method 1500 of FIG. 15.Such interactions can advance a CRM or non-CRM lifecycle while operatingin the context of a publisher and an information feed. An example of aCRM lifecycle can be shown in FIGS. 24-27, as discussed earlier herein.Another example of a CRM lifecycle can be shown in FIGS. 28-30.

FIGS. 28-30 illustrate an example of stages of advancing a CRM lifecyclefrom a single user interface, which includes a publisher and informationfeed. FIG. 28 shows an example of a lead record with a user interfaceincluding a publisher 2802 and an information feed 2804, according tosome implementations. For example, a service agent who met or knows aMr. JimBob as a potential customer may access the Mr. JimBob Lead page2816, as shown in FIG. 28. Determination of the permissions for theservice agent to access the Mr. JimBob Lead can be based on the serviceagent's profile. Appropriate publisher actions and information may beretrieved from a database system and displayed on the Mr. JimBob Leadpage 2816 according to the service agent's profile. As discussed earlierherein, some information and/or actions may not be available for certainusers. As shown in FIG. 28, a plurality of publisher actions 2806 in thepublisher 2802 is displayed on the left side bar as channels to performan action on the Mr. JimBob Lead. Publisher actions 2806 include “Createa Task”, “Crease a Case”, “Convert Lead”, “Write Lead Note”, and “ViewLead Details”.

The service agent may select any one of the publisher actions 2806 tocause the publisher 2802 to display data fields 2818 associated with theselected publisher action 2806. In some implementations, selection ofthe publisher action 2806 may cause the publisher 2802 to display anapplication or content from a data source. In FIG. 28, some of the datafields 2818 are text boxes configured to receive character-based values,one of the data fields 2818 is a checkbox, and some of the data fields2818 are dropdown menus. The service agent may input values into some ofthe data fields 2818 in the publisher 2802. In some of the data fields2818, the service agent may perform a search query and/or utilize anauto-complete function to input values. In some implementations, defaultvalues may be provided in some of the data fields 2818.

The service agent may publish information entered into the data fields2818 by selecting the Convert Lead button 2810. The information from thepublisher 2802 may be submitted to a database system. The Mr. JimBobLead is deleted and a Mr. JimBob Opportunity is created, where the Mr.JimBob Opportunity is stored in the database system. In someimplementations, another record may be simultaneously interacted uponwith the creation of the Mr. JimBob Opportunity. In this instance, atask is simultaneously created with the conversion of the Mr. JimBobLead to the Mr. JimBob Opportunity. A feed item (not shown) is createdfor presentation in the information feed 2804. The feed item may providefunctionality in the user interface to navigate to the Mr. JimBobOpportunity page or perform other actions with reference to the Mr.JimBob Opportunity from the information feed 2804. The navigation and/oractions can be performed without leaving the user interface. In otherwords, the service agent or another entity need not navigate throughseparate user interfaces to perform actions on one or more records. Thefeed item may be published in multiple related feeds throughcross-referencing, which is discussed in more detail in Section XIIIbelow.

FIG. 29 shows an example of an opportunity record converted from thelead record in FIG. 28, with a user interface including a publisher 2902an information feed 2904, according to some implementations. The leadrecord is removed from the database system and replaced with theopportunity record. To navigate to the Mr. JimBob Opportunity page 2916,the service agent may select an actionable selection in a feed item.From there, appropriate publisher actions and information may beretrieved from a database system and displayed in the Mr. JimBobOpportunity page 2916 according to the service agent's profile. As shownin FIG. 29, a plurality of publisher actions 2906 in the publisher 2902is displayed on the left side bar as channels to perform an action onthe Mr. JimBob Opportunity. Publisher actions 2906 include “Create aTask”, “Log a Call”, “Create a Case”, “Create a Service Contract”,“Write Opportunity Note”, and “View Opportunity Details”. The serviceagent may select any one of the publisher actions 2906 to cause thepublisher 2902 to display data fields 2918 associated with the selectedpublisher action 2906.

In FIG. 29, the service agent has selected the publisher action 2906 forcreating a service contract, with data fields 2918 for the contractname, start date, and end date. The service agent may input values intoeach of the data fields 2918 in the publisher 2902.

The service agent may publish information entered into the data fields2918 by selecting the Create Contract button 2910. The information fromthe publisher 2902 may be submitted to a database system. A servicecontract record is created and stored in the database system. This maybe represented by a row in a table in the database system. The servicecontract record is related to the Mr. JimBob Opportunity as a childrecord to a parent record. A feed item (not shown) is created forinclusion in the information feed 2904. The feed item may includefunctionality in the user interface to navigate to the service contractrecord or perform other actions with reference the service contractrecord from the information feed 2904. The navigation or actions can beperformed without leaving the user interface.

FIG. 30 shows an example of the service contract record of the parentrecord in FIG. 29, with a user interface including a publisher 3002 andan information feed 3004, according to some implementations. To navigateto the service contract page 3016, the service agent may select anactionable selection in a feed item. From there, appropriate publisheractions and information may be retrieved from a database system anddisplayed in the service contract page 3016 according to the serviceagent's profile. As shown in FIG. 30, a plurality of publisher actions3006 in the publisher 3002 is displayed on the left side bar as channelsto perform an action on the service contract record. Publisher actions3006 include “Add a Product”, “Write Service Contract Note”, and “ViewService Contract Details”. The service agent may select any one of thepublisher actions 3006 to cause the publisher 3002 to display datafields 3018 associated with the selected publisher action 3006.

In FIG. 30, the service agent has selected the publisher action 3006 foradding a product, with data fields 3018 for the product, quantity, andsales price. The service agent may input values into each of the datafields 3018 in the publisher 3002.

The service agent may publish information entered into the data fields3018 by selecting the Add button 3010. The information from thepublisher 3002 may be submitted to a database system. A contract lineitem for a product is created and stored in the database system. Thismay be represented by a row in a table in the database system. Thecontract line item for the product is related to the service contractrecord as a child record to a parent record. A feed item (not shown) iscreated for presentation in the information feed 3004. The feed item mayinclude functionality in the user interface to navigate to the contractline item or perform other actions with reference the contract line itemfrom the information feed 3004. The navigation or actions can beperformed without leaving the user interface.

A user can navigate and advance through a CRM lifecycle in a single andstandardized user interface, as illustrated in in FIGS. 28-30. Thus, auser does not need to navigate and learn multiple user interfaces tointeract with each of the records through the CRM lifecycle. As recordsare created and/or updated, the user can immediately navigate andperform actions on the newly created or updated records through theinformation feed and the publisher. In other words, everything can bedone through the information feed and the publisher in a CRM lifecycle.

In some implementations, the publisher and the information feed may alsobe utilized as a common user interface to advance a non-CRM lifecycle.By way of example, a financial services agent may receive a call from acustomer regarding an investment. The financial services agent can inputthe customer information to access the customer's investment record.From the customer's investment record page, a user interface can includea publisher and an information feed. The financial services agent canadd, remove, or update an investment in the customer's investment recordvia the publisher. A feed item is presented in the information feed ofthe customer's investment record with one or more actionable selectionsto the investment. The investment can include, for example, an IRA, aRoth IRA, or mortgage, among others. The financial services agent canaccess the investment through the feed item and continue to advance thenon-CRM lifecycle.

In another example, a health insurance agent may receive a call from acustomer regarding his or her insurance coverage. The health insuranceagent may input the customer information to access the customer's healthinsurance plan. From the customer's health insurance plan page, a userinterface can include a publisher and an information feed. In someimplementations, a custom object may be provided with the user interfaceto represent the health insurance plan, coverage, product, limits, andcoverage figures. Depending on the coverage that the customer isinterested in, the health insurance agent can add, remove, or update thecustomer's health insurance plan via the publisher. This can includeadding or removing products in the health insurance plan. This can alsoinclude updating limits and coverage figures. A feed item is presentedin the information feed of the customer's health insurance plan with oneor more actionable selections to the product or coverage. The healthinsurance agent can access the product or coverage through the feed itemand continue to advance the non-CRM lifecycle.

In another example, a user may want to file an expense report under anaccount. The user may access the account record, where the userinterface of the account record includes a publisher and an informationfeed. In some implementations, the publisher may expose a third-partyapplication, such as Concur®, for expense reporting. In someimplementations, the publisher may include a custom action, such as“File New Expense Report”. The user may file the expense report via thepublisher and publish the information into the information feed as afeed item. The feed item may include one or more actionable selectionsto link to the newly created expense report. The user may access theexpense report through the feed item to advance the non-CRM lifecycle.

XIII. Cross-Referencing of Feed Items

FIG. 16 shows a flowchart of an example of a computer implemented method1600 for interacting with one or more records from a single userinterface in an online social network, performed in accordance with someimplementations. FIG. 16 may be described with reference to FIGS. 31,32A-32C and 33A-33C. At block 1604, data is provided to generate a userinterface including a publisher, as generally described above at block1504 of the method 1500. At block 1608, a request to interact with afirst record is received from the publisher, as generally describedabove at block 1508 of the method 1500. The first record may be relatedto a parent record stored in a database system. At block 1612, firstinformation associated with the first record is received from thepublisher, as generally described above at block 1512 of the method1500. At block 1616, the database system is updated based on the firstinformation associated with the first record, as generally describedabove at block 1516 of the method 1500.

At block 1620, a feed item associated with the update based on the firstinformation is presented for inclusion in an information feed of theparent record in the user interface. The feed item may provide a visualfeedback element representing the first information from the publisherin the information feed of the parent record. While the feed item may bepresented for inclusion in a number of different feeds, as will bediscussed in more detail below, the feed item may be at least presentedfor inclusion in the information feed of the parent record. In someimplementations, the feed item may include one or more actionableselections providing a reference to the first record. As a result, auser can navigate to the first record directly from the feed item. Insome implementations, the reference to the first record can performfurther actions with respect to the first record. Such actions mayinclude creating a second record, deleting the first record, updatingthe first record, converting the first record, attaching a file to thefirst record, downloading data from the first record, uploading data tothe first record, viewing information associated with the first record,and otherwise performing an operation having reference to the firstrecord (e.g., logging a call, creating an email, approving or rejectinga workflow approval, etc.). In some instances, selecting the one or moreactionable selections may cause the publisher to be operable to receivesecond information.

In FIG. 31, a feed item 3122 is presented for inclusion in aninformation feed 3104 for a parent record as shown in the accounts page3116. After a user Daniel Cheng creates a new contact (child record),the feed item 3122 is published at the top of the information feed 3104for the account (parent record). The feed item 3122 includes anactionable selection or link 3124 to the newly created contact “ChuySantiago”. A user may also perform various actions on the feed item3122, including posting a comment on the feed item 3122, liking ordisliking the feed item 3122, or sharing the feed item 3122. Suchactions may affect the same feed item 3122 as presented in other relatedfeeds. A user may select the link 3124 to advance from the accountrecord for Cirrus, Inc. to the contact record for Chuy Santiago.

Returning to FIG. 16, at block 1624, one or more entitiescross-referenced with the feed item are identified. Cross-referencing offeed items can be achieved in a number of ways. Identification ofcross-referenced entities can be obtained from cross-referencing data.In some implementations, such cross-referencing data may be receivedfrom an API. The number of cross-referenced entities may be limitless,and each of the cross-referenced entities may be defined by a payload inthe API. For example, a user may define the cross-referencing data inthe payload of the API. In some implementations, the API is utilized bythe publisher to provide the payload and the cross-referencing data.

In some implementations, after receiving the request to interact withthe first record, the publisher may be caused to display one or moredata fields of the first record, the one or more data fields configuredto receive the first information associated with the first record. Atleast one of the one or more data fields is configured to receivecross-referencing data defining the one or more entities tocross-reference with the feed item. The cross-referenced entities caninclude users, groups, organizations, and records. In someimplementations, the cross-referencing data may be user-defined, such asdefined by user input values in a payload.

In some other implementations, the cross-referencing data may bemachine- or system-defined. In other words, identification of thecross-referenced entities may be hard-coded. For example, a systemadministrator or owner of the parent record can establish default valuesfor the cross-referencing data. In some instances, the cross-referencedentities can include the first record and the parent record of the firstrecord. In some instances, the cross-referenced entities can include thefirst record, the parent record of the first record, a child record ofthe first record, a user subscribing to the first record, the userinteracting with the first record, and a user following the userinteracting with the first record. It is understood that any number ofcombinations of the aforementioned entities may be cross-referenced withthe feed item.

Identification of cross-referenced entities can be based at least inpart on record relationship information, where the record relationshipinformation can be retrieved from the database system. Recordrelationship information may indicate that a child record is related toone parent record or to multiple parent records. For example, recordrelationship information may indicate that a deal record is related tomultiple account records in the database system. In some instances, therecord relationship information may indicate that the child record is aparent record to further child records.

Record relationship information of the first record can help determineat least one of the one or more entities to be cross-referenced with thefeed item. As the feed item is presented for inclusion in theinformation feed of the parent record of the first record, the feed itemcan be cross-referenced with other entities related to the parent recordor the first record. What entities are related to the parent recordand/or the first record can be provided by the record relationshipinformation. For example, feed item can be cross-referenced withmultiple parent records of the first record.

At block 1628, the feed item associated with the update is provided inone or more information feeds of the one or more entitiescross-referenced with the feed item. Where the feed item is propagatedcan be based on cross-referencing data or record relationshipinformation. The same feed item as displayed in the information feed ofthe parent record may be propagated and displayed across multiple users,groups, organizations, and records. As a result, a single conversationthread may be published multiple times in the information feeds ofdifferent users, groups, organizations, and records. Cross-referencingof a feed item across multiple users, groups, organizations, and recordsmay be preferred over copying or re-posting the feed item in differentplaces. By copying or re-posting the feed item in different places,actions taken on an original feed item are not typically published in acopy of the original feed item or a re-posting of the original feeditem. This can lead to several different conversation threads on theoriginal feed item and copies of the feed original feed item. Bypropagating the same feed item across multiple entities withcross-referencing, other users can interact with or otherwise perform anaction on the feed item without having to navigate across multiple userinterfaces. For example, collaborators for a particular record caninteract with the feed item from their news feed, the record feed of theparent record, or the record feed of the first record if the feed itemis cross-referenced with such entities.

By way of example, a user can create a new task. In creating the newtask, the user can associate the task with an opportunity and with acase. In addition, the user can associate the task with 10 contacts.Upon creating the task by a publisher, information regarding the task ispublished to a feed item. The feed item is cross-referenced with theopportunity, the case, and each of the 10 contacts so that the feed itemis propagated in the information feeds of each of those entities.

Typically, a feed item is published within the information feed of theparent record, as discussed earlier herein. However, the feed item maybe propagated and published in other information feeds ofcross-referenced or related entities. By way of example, if a user iscreating a contact (i.e., child record) from an account (i.e., parentrecord) page, then the feed item can be propagated in at least theaccounts record feed. In some implementations, the feed item can alsopropagated in the record feed of the newly created contact. In someimplementations, the feed item can also be propagated in other recordsfeeds of multiple parent records of the newly created contact. In someimplementations, the feed item can also be propagated in the news feedof users subscribed to the parent record or the child record.

FIGS. 32A-32C show an example of a record with user interfacesdisplaying different information related to the record. In particular,the user interfaces may display information related to the informationfeed of the record, the record details, and the record relationshipinformation.

FIG. 32A shows an example of a record with a user interface displayingthe information feed 3204 for an account page 3216. The user interfacealso includes a publisher 3202. The information feed 3204 can be viewedby selection of a feed tab 3208 a. The information feed 3204 can displaya plurality of feed items showing messages, feed tracked updates, etc.

FIG. 32B shows an example of a record with a user interface displayingthe record details 3210 for the account page 3216 in FIG. 32A. Therecord details 3210 can be viewed by selection of the details tab 3208b. The record details 3210 can provide information about the accountitself and its parent record or records. Such information can alsoinclude links to related records, files, and websites. Here, the recorddetails 3210 display general information about Cirrus, Inc., such as theaccount Owner, the Account Name, the Website, the Billing Address, theShipping Address, etc. Depending on the access permissions of the user,the user may be limited in accessing and/or editing the record details3210.

FIG. 32C shows an example of a record with a user interface displayingthe record relationship information 3220 for the account page 3216 inFIG. 32A. The record relationship information 3220 can be viewed byselection of the related tab 3208 c. The record relationship information3220 can provide information listing the records that are related to theaccount record for Cirrus, Inc. For example, the record relationshipinformation displays the plurality of child records related to theaccount record for Cirrus, Inc., including the contacts, opportunities,cases, tasks, and events associated with Cirrus, Inc. In some instances,identification of cross-referenced entities for a feed item can be basedat least in part on the record relationship information 3220.

FIGS. 33A-33C show examples of a single feed item cross-referencedacross multiple records and user profiles. FIG. 33A shows an example ofa contacts record with a record feed 3304 a including a feed item 3322 apresenting updated data from a publisher 3302 a, according to someimplementations. An API or a publisher from any user interface mayprovide the updated data necessary to create the feed item 3322 a. Inthis example, the published feed item 3322 a is presented for inclusionin the record feed 3304 a in the contact record page 3316 a. The feeditem 3322 a includes information about the action performed on thecontact record and the source of the action. The feed item 3322 a alsoincludes information from a message post accompanying the creation ofthe contact. The feed item 3322 a further includes actions 3326 a thatare configured to perform actions on the feed item 3322 a, includingposting a comment to the feed item 3322 a, liking or disliking the feeditem 3322 a, and sharing the feed item 3322 a. Such actions 3326 a maybe configured to affect the same feed item as propagated in otherrelated feeds to create a single conversation thread.

The creation of the feed item 3322 a may be the result of the creationof a new contact from the sequence of actions illustrated in FIGS.24-27. Whereas FIG. 27 shows the feed item 2422 as displayed in theinformation feed 2104 for the accounts record, FIG. 32A shows the feeditem 3322 a as displayed in the information feed 3304 a for the contactrecord. The feed item 2422 in FIG. 27 may be cross-referenced with thechild record so as to display the feed item 3322 a in FIG. 33A. In someinstances, cross-referenced feed items as displayed in differentinformation feeds may render different information. For example, whilethe feed item 2422 includes a link 2424 to the child record in FIG. 27,the feed item 3322 a does not include such a link.

Cross-referenced feed items are the same feed items propagated acrossdifferent feeds. However, the cross-referenced feed items may berendered differently depending on contextual factors. One suchcontextual factor can entail the profile of the user viewing thecross-referenced feed item, such as whether the user has a role ordefinition capable of approving a workflow or whether, in which case anapproval button may appear in the cross-referenced feed item. Anothercontextual factor can include the page layout on which thecross-referenced feed item is displayed, such as whether the page layoutis a home page of the user, the parent record page, the child recordpage, etc. Another contextual factor can include the type of device onwhich the cross-referenced feed item is rendered, such as whether thedevice is a smartphone, a tablet, laptop, or a desktop. Thus, whilecross-referenced feed items are the same (e.g., same row of informationin a table of a database system), the cross-referenced feed items mayrender different information depending on context. For example, thepreamble of the cross-referenced feed item or the auxiliary body of thecross-referenced feed item may present different information indifferent feeds.

FIG. 33B shows an example of a user profile with a news feed 3304 bincluding a feed item 3322 b cross-referenced from the feed item in FIG.33A and with a link 3324 b to the contact record, according to someimplementations. In this example, not only is the published feed item3322 a in FIG. 33A presented for inclusion in the record feed in thecontact record page 3316 a, but the same feed item is presented as feeditem 3322 b in FIG. 33B for inclusion in the news feed 3304 b of theuser profile page 3316 b. The user profile page 3316 b may correspond toa user who created, updated, or otherwise performed an action on thecontact record. Here, the user profile page 3316 b corresponds to DanielCheng who created to the contact record. Similar to the feed item 3322 ain FIG. 33A, the feed item 3322 b in the news feed 3304 b includes theaction performed on the contact record and the source of the action,information from the message post accompanying the creation of thecontact, and actions 3326 b configured to perform actions on the feeditem 3322 b. In addition, the feed item 3322 b includes a link 3324 bthat a user may select to efficiently advance from the user profile page3316 b to the contact record page 3316 a in FIG. 33A.

FIG. 33C shows an example of another user profile with a news feed 3304c including a feed item 3322 c cross-referenced from the feed item inFIG. 33A with a link 3324 c to the contacts record, according to someimplementations. Like FIG. 33B, the same feed item from FIG. 33A may bepublished in a news feed 3304 c of the user profile page 3316 c. Theuser profile page 3316 c may correspond to a user who follows DanielCheng, or who subscribes to the parent record or contact record. Here,the user profile page 3316 c corresponds to Scott Perket who subscribesto the parent record. Similar to the feed item 3322 a in FIG. 33A, thefeed item 3322 c in the news feed 3304 c includes the action performedon the contact record and the source of the action, information from themessage post accompanying the creation of the contact, and actions 3326c configured to perform actions on the feed item 3322 c. In addition,the feed item 3322 c includes a link 3324 c that a user may select toefficiently advance from the user profile page 3316 c to the contactrecord page 3316 a in FIG. 33A.

IX. Custom Actions for Data Objects

FIG. 17 shows a flowchart of an example of a computer-implemented method1700 for interacting with one or more data objects from a publisherconfigured to publish information to an information feed of an onlinesocial network, performed in accordance with some implementations. FIG.17 is described with reference to FIGS. 34-51C.

At block 1704, a computing device or any number of computing devicescooperating to perform the method 1700 may provide data to generate auser interface including a publisher with a custom action. The customaction is configured to interact with a data object in accordance withcustom action instructions provided by a first entity via an applicationprogramming interface (API). The data object is stored or configured tobe stored in a database system. The data object can have a datastructure defined by the database service (a standard object) or definedby a user (custom object).

A user or organization, such as a partner or customer, may wish todefine a custom action for inclusion in a publisher. The user ororganization may utilize an API, which can provide the framework orfunctionality to enable a user or organization to create their owncustom actions. A custom action enables processing of data related tothe data object through the publisher Like publisher actions, the customaction can perform operations such as creating a record, deleting arecord, editing data associated with a record, logging an action to arecord, converting a record, downloading data from a record, uploadingdata to a record, attaching a file to a record, and viewing informationassociated with a record. By way of example, in logging an action to arecord, the custom action may be configured to send an email and thenlog that email to the record, or the custom action may be configured topost to another online social network, such as LinkedIn® and Twitter®,and then log that post to the record. The custom action may perform anaction that has a behavior outside the network domain of the record.

In some implementations, a custom action may be made available to aplurality of users within or associated with an organization.Alternatively, or additionally, a custom action created by a firstentity, such as an organization, may be provided for use by otherorganizations and users. A database service provider may provide amarketplace or exchange in which entities that create applications suchas a custom action may freely distribute, sell, or exchange applicationswith other entities.

A user interface of a database service may allow a user to create acustom action. Examples of database services for creating custom actionsmay include Force.com® and Work.com®, provided by Salesforce.com®. Auser or organization may also create new custom actions within theonline social network, including Chatter®. A user may create new customactions programmatically or declaratively.

In some implementations, the method 1700 may further include receiving,at the computing device, the custom action instructions from a user,where the custom action instructions are configured to define the dataobject and configured to define one or more data fields associated withthe data object. From a client machine, a user may access the databaseservice and utilize the API to create client-side scripting instructionsfor the custom object. In some implementations, the API may allow usersto have limited access to source code and computing environment tocreate the publisher with the custom action.

FIG. 34 shows an example of a user interface of a database serviceconfigured for users to create a custom action, according to someimplementations. A user may initiate creation of a custom action usingthe API by selecting a dropdown tab “Customize” 3402, then selecting adropdown tab “Accounts” 3404, and then selecting a dropdown tab“Buttons, Links, and Actions” 3406. Selecting the “Buttons, Links, andActions” tab 3406 causes the user interface to display informationregarding the creation of custom actions as well as a list 3408 ofrecently created custom actions. The user interface further includes abutton 3410 for initiating the creation of a new custom action.

While a user may initiate creation of a custom action using the API froma database service, a user may initiate creation of a custom actionusing the API within the online social network itself. FIG. 35 shows anexample of a user interface including a publisher 3502 configured forusers to create a custom action from the publisher, according to someimplementations. The user interface in the online social network candisplay the publisher 3502 and an information feed 3504. A user mayinitiate creation of the custom action by selecting “More” 3506 from alayout of actions in the publisher 3502 to produce a dropdown menu, andthen selecting “Customize” 3508 from the dropdown menu.

It is understood that a user may initiate creation of a custom actionusing any number of pathways in any number of user interfaces. Forexample, a control region separate from a publisher in the userinterface may enable a user to select a tab, channel, or button toinitiate creation of a custom action. A search query tool from thedatabase service or the online social network may also display resultsallowing a user to select a link to initiate creation of a customaction.

After initiating the creation of the custom action, the user may providecustom action instructions associated with the custom action. The customaction instructions may define the data object and one or more datafields associated with the data object. FIG. 36 shows an example of auser interface including a custom action definition area 3602 forcreating the custom action, according to some implementations. The userinterface includes a custom action definition area 3602, which includesa plurality of custom fields 3604-3620, and a page layout area 3622. Auser can define the custom action instructions utilizing the API byproviding values in each of the custom fields 3604-3620.

In some implementations, an API may be provided by an entity, such as adatabase service provider, which includes a set of pre-definedinstructions that perform at least some of the operations of the customaction. The pre-defined instructions may be provided in, for example,Javascript®, Java®, Apex™, or any other programming language forimplementing at least some of the operations of the custom action. Theoperations may include operations that are likely to be common to manyor all custom actions. For example, the instructions may be responsiblefor creating an area of the user interface for displaying the customaction, handling receipt of custom action triggering messages from aclient machine, transmitting updated custom action messages to theclient machine, and other such operations.

Thus, a user can provide definitions in the custom fields 3604-3620 inFIG. 36 to provide custom action instructions that interact with theAPI. The custom action instructions may integrate directly with thepre-defined instructions provided in the API.

One of the definitions in the custom action instructions can includeObject Name 3604. In some implementations, a default value may beprovided based on the source of initiating the creation of the customaction. Another definition in the custom action instructions can includeAction Type 3606. The Action Type 3606 displays a value indicating thetype of action to be performed for interacting with the data object. Insome implementations, the Action Type 3606 is not limited to interactingwith a data object, but can include other actions, such as exposingthird-party applications or content. Such actions are discussed in moredetail in Section X. In some implementations, a user may select from alist of possible values in Action Type 3606, such as Create a Record,Create a Custom Page (e.g., Custom Visualforce Page), and Update aRecord, among others. Other possible actions can include Log a Call,Send Email, Send SMS, Change Status, Social Post, Canvas, and Aura™.

Additional definitions in the custom action instructions can includeTarget Object 3608. The Target Object 3608 describes the data objectthat the custom action is configured to interact with. In someimplementations, the value provided in the Target Object 3608 includes achild record of the parent record. The child record and the parentrecord can be a CRM object, such as a lead, a case, an account, anopportunity, a task, a contact, a campaign, a contract, an event, acustom object, and a Visualforce page. Other definitions in the customaction instructions can include the Record Type 3610, the RelationshipField 3612, the Label 3614, the API Name 3616, the Description 3618, andthe Icon 3620. The display of some of the custom fields may depend onthe Action Type 3606. In FIG. 36, defining the Action Type 3606 to“Create a Record” causes the user interface to display custom fields3608-3616.

Furthermore, the user may provide additional custom action instructionsby defining in the page layout area 3622 the pages in which the customaction will appear. Thus, a custom action may be accessible on specifiedpages in the online social network.

Returning to the method 1700 in FIG. 17, the data to generate a userinterface including a publisher with a custom action at block 1704 maydetermine whether the custom action is displayed in the user interface.The data may include custom action instructions as to the pages on whichthe custom action would be provided, as discussed above. In addition,the data may include custom action instructions as to the entities whichhave permission to access the custom action. A custom action may beprovided to all users in an organization. Alternately, a custom actionmay be limited to a specific subset of users, such as a group.

Custom action instructions may also be configured to define the one ormore data fields associated with the data object. FIG. 37A shows anexample of a user interface for an action layout editor 3702 displayingdata fields 3710 associated with a custom action, according to someimplementations. Each of the data fields 3710 can represent informationto be provided to the data object. In some implementations, theinformation can be generated from a user. In some implementations, theinformation can be generated from a machine or system. Some of the datafields 3710 may also be configured to be required fields for input.

By selecting the “Fields” option 3706, a user can configure the datafields 3710 using the action layout editor 3702 to be associated withthe custom action. The action layout editor 3702 includes a plurality ofavailable fields 3704 that can be associated with the custom action.Examples of available fields 3704 include First Name, Last Name, Phone,Email, Birthdate, Last Modified, Created By, Opportunity Name, AccountName, Next Step, Amount, Close Date, Stage, and Description, amongothers.

An available field 3704 can become a data field 3710 associated with thecustom action by dragging and dropping one of the available fields 3704into a customizable publisher space 3708. FIG. 37B shows an example ofthe user interface for the action layout editor 3702 in which anadditional data field 3712 is associated with the custom action. A usercan place the additional data field 3712 in the customizable publisherspace 3708 to determine an action layout of the data fields 3710. Insome implementations, handling limits can be imposed to limit thequantity or types of data fields 3710 that can be positioned in thepublisher space 3708.

The action layout represents the arrangement of the data fields in thepublisher. The action layout for a custom action may differ according tothe API. FIG. 38A shows an example of a window previewing the display ofdata fields 3810 a associated with a custom action, according to someimplementations. Here, the arrangement of the data fields 3810 a in thecustomizable publisher space 3808 a is shown in a two-columnarrangement. This arrangement of the data fields 3810 a may be usefulfor display in display devices having a wide screen, such as a desktop,laptop, or tablet display device.

FIG. 38B shows an example of a window previewing the display of datafields 3810 b associated with a custom action, according to otherimplementations. Here, the arrangement of the data fields 3810 b in thecustomizable publisher space 3808 b is shown in a single columnarrangement. This arrangement of the data fields 3810 b may be usefulfor display in display devices having a narrow screen, such as asmartphone or other mobile display device.

Custom action instructions may also be configured to define a pagelayout of the custom action in the publisher. FIG. 39 shows an exampleof a user interface for a page layout editor 3902 displaying publisheractions 3908 associated with a record, according to someimplementations. Each of the publisher actions 3908 represents an actionthat can be performed on a data object or with reference to a dataobject.

By selecting the “Actions” option 3906, a user can configure thepublisher actions 3908 using the page layout editor 3902 for aparticular page layout. Page layouts can differ across pages fordifferent records, groups, users, and organizations. For example, apublisher action 3908 for creating a contact may be displayed on apartner account page but not displayed on a customer deal page. The pagelayout editor 3902 includes a plurality of available actions 3904 thatcan be included in the page layout. Examples of available actions 3904include Contact, File, Link, Log a Call, Opportunity, Polls, Post, Task,and Thanks, among others.

An available action 3904 can become a publisher action 3908 by draggingand dropping one of the available actions 3904 in the page layout forthe publisher. One of the available actions 3904 can be a custom action3910. A user can position the custom action 3910 among one or morepublisher actions 3908 to determine a page layout of the custom action3910 in the publisher. The page layout can represent the arrangement ofthe custom action 3910 relative to the publisher actions 3908 in thepublisher. The area for the publisher actions 3908 can be restricted toa particular area of the publisher. By cabining the publisher actions3908 to a limited area, the publisher actions 3908 may be prevented fromaltering how the rest of the publisher is displayed.

FIG. 40 shows an example of a user interface displaying details 4006,page layouts 4008, and predefined field values 4010 associated with acustom action, according to some implementations. After creation of acustom action, a user may access a page 4002 to view informationregarding the custom action. The user may select one of a plurality ofbuttons 4004 to edit the action layout of the custom action or edit,duplicate, or delete the custom action. The details 4006 displaydefinitions provided for custom fields for the custom action. The pagelayouts 4008 display the specific pages in which the custom action willappear. The predefined field values 4010 display the data fields havingpredefined or default values. A user can add a new predefined or defaultvalue by selecting the New button 4012, edit predefined or defaultvalues in specified data fields by selecting the Edit link 4014, ordelete a previous predefined or default value in specified data fieldsby selecting the Del link 4016.

FIG. 41 shows an example of a user interface for editing or adding thepredefined field values associated with a custom action, according tosome implementations. A user can select a data field 4102 from aplurality of data fields to specify a predefined or default value. Theuser can define a value in a field space 4104, where the value can be analpha-numeric input or other character-based input including words,phrases, statements, questions, emotional expressions, and/or symbols.However, the value defined in the field space 4104 may be variable. Theuser can add functions 4106 to the field space 4104 to perform afunction on a value or variable.

By establishing a predefined or default value for a data field, any userwho initiates the custom action from a publisher will already beprovided with predefined or default values in the data field. In someimplementations, the predefined or default values in the data field maynot be changed.

While some custom actions may be limited to display in user interfacesdepending on the page being accessed or the user access permissions,some custom actions may not be so limited. Such actions may be referredto as global actions. FIGS. 42-44 show user interfaces of differentaspects of creating a global action.

FIG. 42 shows an example of a user interface of a database serviceconfigured for users to create a global action, according to someimplementations. A user may initiate creation of a global action usingthe API by selecting a dropdown tab “Create” 4202, and then selecting adropdown tab “Global Actions” 4204. Selecting the “Global Actions” tab4204 causes the user interface to display information regarding thecreation of global actions as well as a list 4208 of recently createdglobal actions. The user interface further includes a button 4210 forinitiating the creation of a new global action. It is understood that auser may initiate creation of a global action using any number ofpathways in any number of user interfaces.

After initiating the creation of the global action, the user may provideglobal action instructions associated with the global action. FIG. 43shows an example of a user interface including a global actiondefinition area 4302 for creating the global action, according to someimplementations. Providing global action instructions can occur in anidentical or similar manner as providing custom action instructions,which is described earlier herein. However, global actions are notnecessarily limited to certain pages in the online social network, butcan be displayed across a wider range of pages, including a detailspage, a home page, and a Chatter® page.

The user interface includes a global action definition area 4302, whichincludes a plurality of global fields 4304-4312. The number of globalfields 4304-4312 in the global action definition area 4302 may be lessthan the number of custom fields for creating a custom action becausethe user need not specify relationships and other information.

The user may also provide additional global action instructions bydefining the page layout area 4314 the pages in which the global actionwill appear. Here, the pages that can be selected are not limited topages having a parent-child relationship with the data object beingacted upon, but the pages that can be selected include pages across theonline social network.

Global action instructions may be configured to define a page layout ofthe global action in the publisher. FIG. 44 shows an example of a userinterface for a page layout editor 4402 displaying publisher actions4408 associated with an on-demand database service environment,according to some implementations. Each of the publisher actions 4408represents an action that can be performed on a data object or withreference to a data object from any of a plurality of pages across theonline social network.

By selecting the “Actions” option 4406, a user can configure thepublisher actions 4408 using the page layout editor 4402. The pagelayout editor 4402 includes a plurality of available actions 4404 thatcan be included in the publisher. An available action 4404 can become apublisher action 4408 by dragging and dropping one of the availableactions 4404 into the page layout of the publisher. A user can positionan available action 4404 among one or more publisher actions 4408 todetermine a page layout of the publisher.

FIG. 45 shows an example of a window 4502 for selecting publisheractions for display in a publisher, according to some implementations. Auser may customize the publisher actions for display in a publisher byopening the window 4502 from a home page or page in which the user haspermission to customize the display of publisher actions. The user canadd publisher actions from a pool of available actions 4504 into a poolof selected actions 4506. Likewise, the user can remove publisheractions from selected actions 4506 to the area of available actions4504.

FIGS. 46A-46B show an example of a user interface including a publisher4602 with custom actions 4606 and an information feed 4604 for mobiledevice applications, according to some implementations. The customactions 4606 in the publisher 4602 may interface with an API and publishinformation into the information feed 4604. Mobile applications andvarious other applications may communicate with the same API to performthe same basic functionality of the publisher.

The publisher 4602 includes a plurality of publisher actions 4606. Insome implementations, at least one of the publisher actions 4606 may bea custom action. In some implementations, additional publisher actions4606 may be accessed by hovering over the publisher 4602 and sliding thepublisher 4602 in a lateral direction. A button 4608 in the userinterface may enable a user to display or hide the publisher actions4606. In fact, the button 4608 may be configured to show more publisheractions, including actions from a pre-defined list ofadmin-installed/configured actions.

In some implementations, a custom action may be made available to aplurality of users within or associated with an organization, and/or foruse by other organizations and users. The AppExchange custom action 4610may allow users that create applications such as custom actions tofreely distribute, sell, or exchange applications with other entities.

Returning to FIG. 17, at block 1708, a request to interact with the dataobject is received via selection of the custom action in the userinterface from a second entity. In some implementations, the secondentity is a user or organization different from the first entity. Insome implementations, the second entity is a user or organization thatis identical with the first entity.

The method 1700 may further include determining that the second entityhas permission to interact with the data object. Depending on the accesspermissions of the second entity, limitations may be imposed on the dataobjects that the second entity can interact with. Such limitations canbe established by, for example, a system administrator, an owner of thedata object, or an organization's security/permissions policy, amongother means.

In some implementations, the request to interact with the data objectmay include a request to create the data object, a request to delete thedata object, a request to update the data object, a request to convertthe data object, a request to download data from the data object, arequest to upload data to the data object, a request to attach a file tothe data object, a request to view information associated with the dataobject, and a request to otherwise perform an operation having areference to the data object.

The request to interact with the data object may be generated inresponse to a user selecting a custom action in the user interface. Insome implementations, the selection of the custom action may begenerated from a user input from a user interface component displayedwithin the publisher. Examples of selecting such a user interfacecomponents displayed within the publisher include publisher or customactions displayed in FIGS. 21B, 24, and 28-30. Moreover, the userinterface component may be part of a customized graphical user interfacecreated from a customization tool. A partner or customer may customizethe visual representation of the publisher and user interface componentsaccording to their preferences using a customization tool, such asVisualforce. Such a customization tool may provide the framework thatallows users to build custom user interfaces that can be hosted nativelyby the on-demand service environment. Users utilizing a customizationtool like Visualforce may add customized user interface components tothe publisher. Therefore, the publisher may serve as an interface forall user interactions with a record, eliminating the need for differentapplications, devices, or windows for different actions.

In some implementations, the selection of the custom action may begenerated from a user input from a user interface component displayedoutside of the publisher. Examples of selecting such a user interfacecomponent displayed outside of the publisher include actionableselections in FIGS. 47A-47B and 48A-48B.

FIGS. 47A-47B show an example of a lookup tool 4702 for searchingthrough a database system for an on-demand database service environment,according to some implementations. A user may provide an alpha-numericor other character-based input into the box 4704 to perform a lookupquery. In some implementations, a list of results may be displayed aftersubmitting the lookup query. For example, the lookup query may return alist of users, organizations, groups, or records. The user may select auser interface component (not shown) to perform an action on or withreference to one of the users, organizations, groups, and records. Insome implementations, the lookup query may return no results, and theuser may select a user interface component (not shown) to create a newentity, such as a record. For example, in FIG. 47B, as a result of thelookup query returning no results, the user may choose to create a newcontact and cause a publisher to display in the user interface with aplurality of data fields 4706.

FIGS. 48A-48B show an example of a search query tool 4802 for searchingthrough a database system in an on-demand database service environment,according to some implementations. From a user interface, a user mayprovide an alpha-numeric or other character-based input into the box4804. In some implementations, as the user is providing the input forthe search query, results may be simultaneously displayed according toan auto-complete operation. Alternatively, or in addition, results maybe displayed after submitting the search query. In some implementations,the search query may return a list of actions 4806. The user may selectone of the actions 4806 to cause a publisher to display in the userinterface with a plurality of data fields 4808.

Returning to FIG. 17, at block 1712, first information for one or moredata fields associated with the data object is received from thepublisher at the one or more computing devices. The data object may bestored or configured to be stored in a database system. The firstinformation may be provided by the user requesting to interact with thedata object at block 1708. The first information may be communicated toone or more computing devices performing the method 1700, for instance,as a signal network 14 in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

In some instances, validation rules may be implemented with the one ormore data fields to validate certain inputs. FIG. 49 shows an example ofa user interface including a publisher 4902 displaying a plurality ofdata fields 4904 for a publisher action 4906, and validation rulesassociated with one or more data fields, according to someimplementations. The one or more computing devices may perform avalidation check of the values provided in each of the data fields 4904against threshold values. The threshold values may be provided by anentity in the custom action instructions that define the one or moredata fields. A value provided in one of the data fields 4904 may becompared to a set of threshold values, and if it is determined that thevalue satisfies the set of threshold values, then the value isvalidated. For example, in FIG. 49, a Close Date 4908 can establish avalidation rule for a calendar date in which the calendar date must bein the future. Furthermore, an Early Field Indicator 4910 can establisha validation rule that some value be entered.

Returning to FIG. 17, at block 1716, the database system is updatedbased on the first information for the one or more data fieldsassociated with the data object. Updates to the data object may includecreation of the data object, deletion of the data object, editing dataassociated with the data object, logging an action associated with thedata object, conversion of the data object, downloading data from thedata object, uploading data to the data object, attachment of a file tothe data object, viewing of information associated with the data object,and otherwise performing an operation having a reference to the dataobject. In other words, the first information associated with the dataobject at block 1716 is used to perform the requested interaction atblock 1708. For example, upon receiving the first information, the oneor more computing devices can create or update a row in a tablerepresenting the data object in the database system.

At block 1720, a feed item associated with the update is presented forinclusion in an information feed in the user interface. The feed itemprovides a visual feedback element for presenting at least some of theupdated data in the information feed. The data presented in the feeditem can depend on one or several contextual factors. In some instances,the feed item can include an actionable selection providing a referenceto the data object. As discussed earlier herein, the same feed item maybe propagated in other related feeds by cross-referencing.

A custom action may be provided by a third party and configured toexecute some of the sequence of steps described above. One example of acustom action that may be provided by a third party is a Bug customaction. FIG. 50A shows an example of a publisher 5002 for logging a bug,according to some implementations. FIG. 50B shows an example of acorresponding feed item 5014 created from publisher data 5004 providedin FIG. 50A, according to some implementations. Using a Bug 5006 customaction, a user may create a record from the publisher 5002 and publishinformation as a feed item 5014 in an information feed. Such informationmay include publisher data 5004 such as Subject, Frequency, Impact,Found in, and Product Tag. The publisher 5002 may also include a textbox 5008 for posting a message to accompany the feed item 5014, adropdown menu 5012 to select specific entities to publish the publisherdata 5004 to their respective feeds, and a Share button 5010 to publishthe publisher data 5004.

Another example of a custom action that may be provided by a third partyis an Expense Report custom action. FIG. 51A shows an example of apublisher 5102 for filing an expense report, according to someimplementations. FIG. 51B shows a corresponding feed item 5114 from thepublisher data 5104 provided in FIG. 51A, according to someimplementations. FIG. 51C shows another corresponding feed item 5116from the publisher data 5104 provided in FIG. 51A, according to someimplementations. Using the Expense Report 5106 custom action, a user maysubmit an expense report for approval from the publisher 5102. Publisherdata 5104 may include Name, Policy, Purpose, Amount, Item, and Receipt.In some instances, the publisher may communicate with an applicationsuch as Concur® to obtain values for the publisher data 5104. A receiptmay be attached and transmitted with the publisher data 5104. Thepublisher may also include a text box 5108 for posting a message toaccompany feed items 5114 and 5116, a dropdown menu 5112 to selectspecific entities to publish the publisher data 5104 to their respectivefeeds, and a Share button 5110 to publish the publisher data 5104.

X. Interacting with Applications in a Publisher Via an ApplicationProgramming Interface

FIG. 18 shows a flowchart of an example of a computer-implemented method1800 for interacting with an application using a publisher in an onlinesocial network, performed in accordance with some implementations. FIG.18 may be described with reference to FIGS. 52-56C. At block 1804, datato generate a user interface including a publisher and an informationfeed is provided, where the publisher is configured to publishinformation to the information feed. In some implementations, the userinterface may also include a custom action, which may be configured tointeract with a data object or application in accordance with customaction instructions. The custom action instructions may be provided by afirst entity via an API. In some implementations, the first entity maybe a database service provider providing database services to aplurality of recipients. In some implementations, the first entity maybe a user or organization.

FIG. 52 shows an example of a user interface including a custom actiondefinition area 5202 for creating the custom action with a Visualforcepage. A customization tool, such as Visualforce, allows users to buildcustom user interfaces that can be hosted natively in an on-demandservice environment. Rather than declaratively define the userinterface, a customization tool allows users to programmaticallycustomize the user interface. For example, a user may customize the userinterface components that should be included on a page and how theyshould appear. The user can edit Visualforce tags, HTML, Javascript, orother Web-enabled code. Furthermore, a user may customize the customaction instructions that are initiated upon selection of the customaction in the user interface. Examples of custom actions that a user mayadd to the user interface may include, by way of example only, instantmessenger, knowledge articles, live chat, twitter, virtual bulletinboards, email, log a call, portal answer, or the like.

In FIG. 52, the user interface includes a custom action definition area5202, which includes a plurality of custom fields 5204-5218. A user candefine the custom action instructions by providing values in each of thecustom fields 5204-5218. By selecting Custom Action 5206, a user mayidentify a Visualforce page 5208 to associate with the Custom Action5206. The Visualforce page 5208 may be defined previously by an entityto create a case on an Account 5204. The user may further define theVisualforce page 5208 by providing values to its Height 5210, Label5212, Name 5214, Description 5216, and Icon 5218.

Selection of the Visualforce page 5208 refers to a set of programmedinstructions for generating a customized user interface. Theinstructions may be provided in, for example, Javascript®, Java®, Apex™,or any other programming language. Using a customization tool such asVisualforce can allow users to provide instructions that can determinethe overall layout and appearance of the user interface, including thepublisher, custom action, and the information feed, as well as determinethe operations performed by various user interface components.

FIG. 53A shows an example of a record with a customized Visualforce pagelayout 5300 a. Visualforce consists of markup language where differenttags can represent different user interface components. An example ofinstructions for creating such a Visualforce page layout 5300 a is shownbelow:

<apex:page standardController=“Case”>  <!-- Repositions publisher tabsto a horizontal arrangement on top of the page -->  <ul class=“demoNav”style=“list-style: none; overflow: hidden”>   <li style=“float:left”><aid=“custom_email_tab” class=“selected' href=“javascript:void(0);”onclick=“getDemoSidebarMenu().selectMenuItem(‘custom_email_tab’);”><span class=“menuItem”>EmailCustomer</span></a></li>   <li style=“float:left”><aid=“custom_log_call_tab” href=“javascript:void(0);”onclick=“getDemoSidebarMenu().selectMenuItem(‘custom_log_call_tab’);”><span class=“menuItem”>LogCall</span></a></li>   <li style=“float:left”><a id=“custom_portal_tab”href=“javascript:void(0);” onclick=“getDemoSidebarMenu().selectMenuItem(‘custom_portal_tab’);”><span class=“menuItem”>PortalAnswer</span></a></li>   <li style=“float:left”><aid=“custom_detail_tab” href=“javascript:void(0);”onclick=“getDemoSidebarMenu().selectMenuItem(‘custom_detail_tab’);”><span class=“menuItem”>CaseDetails</span></a></li> </ul>  <!-- Email publisher -->  <divid=“custom_email_pub_vf”>   <apex:emailPublisher entityId=“{!case.id}”   width=“80%”    emailBodyHeight=“10em”    showAdditionalFields=“false”   enableQuickText=“true”    toAddresses=“{!case.contact.email}”   toVisibility=“readOnly”    fromAddresses=“support@cirrus.com”   onSubmitSuccess=“refreshFeed( );” />  </div>  <!-- Log call publisher-->  <div id=“custom_log_call_vf” style=“display:none”  <apex:logCallPublisher entityId=“{!case.id}”    width=“80%”   logCallBodyHeight=“10em”    reRender=“demoFeed”   onSubmitSuccess=“refreshFeed( );” />  </div>  <!-- Portal publisher-->  <div id=“custom_portal_vf” style=“display:none”  <support:portalPublisher entityId=“{!case.id}”    width=“80%”   answerBodyHeight=“10em”    reRender=“demoFeed”    answerBody=“Dear{!Case.Contact.FirstName}, \n\nHere is the solution to yourcase.\n\nBest regards,\n\nSupport”    onSubmitSuccess=“refreshFeed( );”/>  </div>  <!-- Case detail page -->  <div id=“custom_detail_vf”style=“display:none”   <apex:detail inlineEdit=“true” relatedList=“true”rerender=“demoFeed” />  </div>  <!-- Include library for using servicedesk console API -->  <apex:includeScriptvalue=“/support/console/25.0/integration.js”/>  <!-- Javascript forswitching publishers -->  <script type=“text/javascript”>   functionDemoSidebarMenu( ) {    var menus = {“custom_email_tab” :“custom_email_pub_vf”,     “custom_log_call_tab” : “custom_log_call_vf”,    “custom_portal_tab” : “custom_portal_vf”,     “custom_detail_tab” :“custom_detail_vf”};    this.selectMenuItem = function(tabId) {     for(var index in menus) {      var tabEl = document.getElementById(index);    var vfEl = document.getElementById(menus[index]);     if (index ==tabId) {      tabEl.className = “selected”;      vfEl.style.display =“block”;     } else {      tabEl.className =“ ”;      vfEl.style.display= “none”;     }    }   };  }  var demoSidebarMenu;  vargetDemoSidebarMenu = function( ) {   if (!demoSidebarMenu) {   demoSidebarMenu = new DemoSidebarMenu( );   }   returndemoSidebarMenu;  };  </script>  <!-- Javascript for firing event torefresh feed in the sidebar -->  <script type=“text/javascript”>  function refreshFeed( ) { sforce.console.fireEvent(‘Cirrus.samplePublisherVFPage.RefreshFeedEvent’, null, null);   }  </script>  </apex:page>

As shown in the example in FIG. 53A, the user interface for theVisualforce page layout 5300 a can include a publisher 5302 and aninformation feed 5304. The user can customize the publisher 5302 to beable to be an email publisher, a call log publisher, and a portal answerpublisher. In other words, the publisher 5302 may include custom actions5306 configured to email a customer, to log a call, and to answerinquiries through a web portal. The layout and dimensions of thepublisher 5302 and other frames in the page layout 5300 a hostingcomponents such as the information feed 5304 may be defined in thecustom action instructions according to the first entity's preferences.

FIG. 53B shows an example of a publisher 5302 with a customizedVisualforce action layout 5300 b. A user can define the publisher 5302as an email publisher configured to send email to specified recipientsand publish the email messages to an information feed. The user canprogrammatically define the data fields in the publisher 5302. When auser selects a publisher action 5306 for Email Customer, the publisher5302 is caused to display data fields including the sender field 5308,the recipient field 5310, the subject field 5312, and the message field5314. Visibility and default values in each of the data fields may beestablished programmatically. Thus, a user or organization may customizethe publisher 5302 to increase standardization of data submitted via thepublisher 5302. The publisher 5302 may also include the ability toattach files via an attachment button 5316, to select a template via atemplate button 5318, and to send the email via the send button 5320.

In some implementations, the user interface that is displayed may dependon contextual factors, including the access permissions of the entity,the type of record, the type of page, the type of display device, etc.For example, what data fields are displayed, what publisher actions areavailable, and the layout of the user interface components can depend onthe type of entity that is navigating the user interface.

The user interface may be defined by custom action instructions eitherdeclaratively utilizing an API, such as one provided by salesforce.com,or programmatically utilizing a customization tool such as Visualforce,which may be provided with its own API and set of pre-definedinstructions. Users with less technical skills may develop userinterfaces declaratively, while users or organizations with more complexdata management needs may prefer a customization tool in customizinguser interfaces.

Returning to FIG. 18, at block 1808, a request to expose an applicationis received using the publisher. The request to expose the applicationmay be received in response to a user selecting a button, link, tab, ormenu selection in the publisher via the user's smartphone, desktop,laptop, tablet, or other mobile computing device. The application can beexposed within a publisher space, and interactions can be performed onthe application through the publisher space via the API. The applicationcan be integrated with the API provided by a database service provider,such as salesforce.com.

In some implementations, the application is hosted natively in theon-demand service environment. In some implementations, the applicationis hosted on a third-party platform. The third-party platform mayinclude one or more database systems outside of the on-demand serviceenvironment. The application can be hosted on a platform service,including but not limited to Site.com™, Heroku™, Force.com®, andAppExchange®.

While the actual code for running the application may be hosted on thethird-party platform, the application is configured to communicate withthe API provided in the on-demand service environment. This API mayenable integration of an application, such as a third-party application,into the on-demand service environment. For example, the API may consistof a set of tools and Javascript APIs that enables integration with thethird-party application into the on-demand service environment. TheJavascript APIs provide a communication bridge so that the third-partyapplication can communicate with a browser page.

At block 1812, content from the application is exposed in the publishervia the API. The content from the application may be exposed in astandard user interface or customized user interface, such as aVisualforce page. In some implementations, exposing the content in thepublisher includes retrieving the content from a database system, andpresenting the content for display in a publisher space in thepublisher. In some instances, the database system can be stored outsideof the on-demand service environment.

Content as exposed in the publisher space can originate from any numberof data sources. In some implementations, such data sources can includeanalytics, external data sources, feeds, and direct events, among otherdata sources. For example, the exposed content can be a video streamprovided from a videoconferencing service. In another example, theexposed content can be a map provided from a web mapping serviceapplication. The publisher space provides a frame or window by which thecontent can be viewed in the user interface, and the content from thedata source can interface with the API to communicate with the browserpage.

FIG. 54 shows an example of a user interface with a publisher exposingdata fields for a custom action hosted natively in an on-demand serviceenvironment, according to some implementations. The publisher 5402 mayinclude a custom action 5404 that is configured to interact with arecord. The custom action 5404 may be configured to interact with therecord according to custom action instructions provided by a firstentity in ways that are described earlier in Section IX. The customaction 5404 can be an API-enabled action that can interface with the APIand cause the API to display data fields 5408 associated with therecord. The custom action 5404 causes the publisher 5402 to exposecontent in the publisher space 5406, where the content can consist ofdata fields 5408 associated with the record. Here, a user can select thecustom action 5404 for a New Oppty to cause the publisher 5402 to exposedata fields 5408 for creating a new opportunity. The data fields caninclude Opportunity Name, Account Name, Next Step, Amount, Close Date,and Stage. The API may interface with one or more database systems inthe on-demand service environment. In the example in FIG. 54, the APImay not communicate with external or third-party database systems.

FIG. 55 shows an example of a user interface with a publisher 5502exposing content from a web page 5508 hosted outside of an on-demandservice environment, according to some implementations. The publisher5502 may include a custom action 5504 that is configured to exposecontent hosted externally. Examples of such content can includearticles, blogs, chat rooms, web pages, feeds from other online socialnetworks, etc. The custom action 5504 is an API-enabled action that caninterface with the API and cause the API to display content from anexternal data source. As shown in FIG. 55, the custom action 5504 cancause the publisher 5502 to display a web page 5508 in a publisher space5506, where web page 5508 can include web-based application services.Even though the web page 5508 is hosted outside of the on-demand serviceenvironment, a user can interact directly with the web page 5508 throughthe API. In the example in FIG. 55, when a user selects the customaction 5504 for Create Listening Campaign, the publisher 5502 exposesthe web page 5508 that the user can interact with to create a listeningcampaign.

FIG. 56A shows an example of a user interface with a publisher exposingcontent from an application hosted on a third-party platform, accordingto some implementations. The publisher 5602 may include a custom action5604 that is configured to interact with the application hosted on thethird-party platform. The custom action 5604 is an API-enabled actionthat can interface with the API and cause the API to expose content fromthe application hosted on the third-party platform in a publisher space5606. In some instances, exposure of the application in the publisherspace 5606 may be performed using the custom action 5604 Force.com®Canvas application. The Canvas application serves as an iFrame or awindow for displaying the content from the application. The applicationmay be hosted on a third-party platform, such as Heroku™. As illustratedin FIG. 56A, the application may be a travel service that is configuredto display a list of itineraries 5608. Other services that can beexposed in the publisher 5602 can include but is not limited to CRMservices, customer services, task management services, web services,social marketing services, performance management services, and datarepository services, among others.

Returning to FIG. 18, at block 1816, a user input is received regardingthe exposed content to interact with the application. The user input maybe transmitted to one or more computing devices performing the method1800, for instance, as a signal network 14 in FIGS. 1A and 1B. In someinstances, the user input can include selection or entry of informationfor transmission to one or more computing devices.

From a user interface, a user can communicate with an application, suchas a third-party application, via the API. In FIG. 56A, the user canselect from a list of itineraries 5608 in the publisher space 5606 andperform a number of actions. For example, the user can share anitinerary listed in the publisher space 5606 by selection of the ShareItinerary button 5610. This can post the itinerary as a feed item intoone or more feeds. As another example, the user can request approval forthe itinerary from another entity by selection of the Request Approvalbutton 5612. Thus, the user can initiate an approval workflow and postthe itinerary as a feed item for approval in a specified entity's feed.The specified entity, such as the user's manager, can interact with thefeed item by approving or denying the request. In another example, theuser can cancel one of the itineraries by selection of the Cancel Tripbutton 5614. The user can identify the feeds of the entities to whichthe information will be published by selection of entities in a dropdownmenu 5616. Furthermore, the user can publish the information toappropriate feeds by selection of a Share button 5618. Therefore, a usercan take content off platform and manage it using the custom action 5604and the API.

Returning to FIG. 18, at block 1820, the interaction with theapplication is performed using the user input via the API. When theinteraction is initiated by the user input, the application directlyinterfaces with the API to implement updates with the application. Evenif the application is hosted on a third-party platform, the applicationdirectly interfaces with the API to implement updates with the hostingpage. In some implementations, the performed interaction occurs withinthe browser page of the user interface. For example, the application canbe a mortgage calculator exposed in the publisher where the interactionoutputs directly into the publisher space. In some implementations, theperformed interaction does not occur with the browser page of the userinterface. Instead, the performed interaction occurs with the API andthe third-party application that avoids opening or refreshing a page inthe browser. In other words, the browser page is unaware of the updatesmade to the application hosted on the third-party platform. In someinstances, one or more database systems may be updated according to theperformed interaction.

At block 1824, the information feed is updated via the API in the userinterface according to the performed interaction with the application.The information feed directly interfaces with the API to updateinformation in the information feed. As the API communicates with theapplication, the API links back information from the application to thebrowser page. Such information is rendered in the information feed ofthe user interface via the API. In some implementations, the informationfeed is updated without refreshing the user interface. In fact, each ofthe steps performed in the method 1800 may occur without refreshing theuser interface. For example, updating the information feed can involveupdating one or more data fields in the information feed based on theuser input by “toggling” changes to the one or more data fields.Therefore, the API can enable interactions between a user and an exposedapplication, such as an application hosted on a third-party platform,such that updates occur seamlessly between a publisher and aninformation feed in a user interface.

FIG. 56B shows an example of a user interface with a feed item 5624displaying information based on a user input regarding content from theapplication hosted on the third-party platform in FIG. 56A, according tosome implementations. In response to the user input, the API cancommunicate with the application and retrieve information from one ormore database systems in the third-party platform. The information canbe rendered into the feed item 5624 in an information feed 5622 via theAPI. The application calls the API, which in turn updates theinformation feed 5622 to present the feed item 5624 for inclusion in theinformation feed 5622. After selecting the Share Itinerary button 5610in FIG. 56A, the user selects the Share button 5620 to post the feeditem 5624 with the selected itinerary. Information in the feed item 5624as retrieved from the application can include more data than the exposedcontent in FIG. 56A.

In some implementations, the feed item can include one or moreactionable selections providing a reference to the application. The oneor more actionable selections may perform further operations on theapplication from the feed item. FIG. 56C shows an example of a userinterface with a feed item 5628 displaying approval controls 5630 basedon a user input regarding content from the application hosted on thethird-party platform in FIG. 56A, according to some implementations. Inresponse to a user input requesting approval for a selected itinerary inFIG. 56A, information regarding the selected itinerary can be renderedinto the feed item 5628 in the information feed 5626 via the API. Theinformation can be retrieved from one or more database systems in thethird-party platform. The feed item 5628 can further include approvalcontrols 5630, where an appropriate entity can approve or deny theselected itinerary. In some implementations, the approval controls 5630may be rendered in the information feeds of entities specified by theuser or information feeds of entities based on the user's profile and/orpreferences. Selection of one of the approval controls 5630 may furtherupdate the information feed 5626 as well as the application hosted onthe third-party platform.

While at least some of the sequence of steps for the method 1800 may beillustrated in FIGS. 56A-56C, other examples may also be illustrative ofthe sequence of steps for the method 1800. By way of example, a userinterface can include a publisher and an information feed where thepublisher includes a custom action for initiating a videoconference witha customer. The customer can use a video recording device and have areal-time conversation with the user through the publisher space of thepublisher. Moreover, the user can perform an action on the exposed datastream by saving the videoconference from the publisher, and the savedvideo can be published to the information feed.

In another example, a user interface can include a publisher and aninformation feed where the publisher includes a custom action forplacing an order with an SAP system. One or more items can be exposedfrom the SAP system in the publisher, and a user can select an item forplacing an order. The user can select a button for placing the order,which can then communicate with the SAP system via the API. The API thenallows the custom action to communicate with the information feed topublish a feed item showing that an order for the item has been placed.

In yet another example, a pharmaceutical company can develop acustomized user interface for sales agents to sell free drug samples todoctors. When a sales agent pulls up an account for a particular doctorin the user interface, the sales agent can view the doctor's account andinput new orders into the publisher. The sales agent can communicatewith an application, such as a third-party application, to fulfill theorder request, and a feed item can be posted in an information feedindicating the placement of the order request.

In yet another example, a gaming company can develop a customized userinterface to submit a mass email to customers. If a flood of cases comein at a rapid rate regarding a bug in a video game, the gaming companycan utilize a publisher to communicate with a mass email web servicesuch as VerticalResponse Inc. or Constant Contact®, Inc. The gamingcompany can import or select all the recipients, compose the email, andsubmit the email through the mass email web service. Upon completion, aninformation feed can be updated by presenting a feed item indicatingthat an email was sent out.

The specific details of the specific aspects of implementationsdisclosed herein may be combined in any suitable manner withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the disclosed implementations.However, other implementations may be directed to specificimplementations relating to each individual aspect, or specificcombinations of these individual aspects.

While the disclosed examples are often described herein with referenceto an implementation in which an on-demand database service environmentis implemented in a system having an application server providing afront end for an on-demand database service capable of supportingmultiple tenants, the present implementations are not limited tomulti-tenant databases nor deployment on application servers.Implementations may be practiced using other database architectures,i.e., ORACLE®, DB2® by IBM and the like without departing from the scopeof the implementations claimed.

It should be understood that some of the disclosed implementations canbe embodied in the form of control logic using hardware and/or usingcomputer software in a modular or integrated manner. Other ways and/ormethods are possible using hardware and a combination of hardware andsoftware.

Any of the software components or functions described in thisapplication may be implemented as software code to be executed by aprocessor using any suitable computer language such as, for example,Java, C++ or Perl using, for example, conventional or object-orientedtechniques. The software code may be stored as a series of instructionsor commands on a computer-readable medium for storage and/ortransmission, suitable media include random access memory (RAM), a readonly memory (ROM), a magnetic medium such as a hard-drive or a floppydisk, or an optical medium such as a compact disk (CD) or DVD (digitalversatile disk), flash memory, and the like. The computer-readablemedium may be any combination of such storage or transmission devices.Computer-readable media encoded with the software/program code may bepackaged with a compatible device or provided separately from otherdevices (e.g., via Internet download). Any such computer-readable mediummay reside on or within a single computing device or an entire computersystem, and may be among other computer-readable media within a systemor network. A computer system, or other computing device, may include amonitor, printer, or other suitable display for providing any of theresults mentioned herein to a user.

While various implementations have been described herein, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notlimitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present applicationshould not be limited by any of the implementations described herein,but should be defined only in accordance with the following andlater-submitted claims and their equivalents.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a database systemimplemented using a server system, the database system configurable tocause: displaying, on a display of a device of a first user of a socialnetworking system, one or more fields configured to receive input todefine or update a custom action; configuring, based on input via theone or more fields from the first user, the custom action to be capableof causing one or more database records to be created or updated inaccordance with user-configurable custom action instructions;displaying, on a display of a device of a second user of the socialnetworking system, a publisher of the social networking system, thepublisher comprising: a first selection operable to receive theuser-configurable custom action instructions from the second user, aninput area capable of receiving text, and a second selection operable tocause the text to be shared in a feed of the social networking system asa feed item; obtaining the user-configurable custom action instructionsvia the first selection; performing, as controlled by theuser-configurable custom action instructions, the custom action to causethe one or more database records to be created or updated to have aplurality of attributes comprising: a record type specified by theuser-configurable custom action instructions, a reference to adesignated database record, the reference specified by theuser-configurable custom action instructions and indicating a parent orchild relationship in a database hierarchy with the designated databaserecord, and a plurality of data fields pre-populated with a plurality ofsystem-generated values based on the record type and based on thereference to the designated database record; and displaying, on thedisplay of the device of the second user, an updated feed with the oneor more database records having the attributes.
 2. The system of claim1, wherein performing the custom action comprises: accessing, via anapplication programming interface (API), content associated with acomputing platform external to the social networking system; anddisplaying, in association with the publisher, the content.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2, the database system further configurable to cause:processing a request from the second user to interact with the content;and generating or modifying, responsive to processing the request, dataassociated with the computing platform.
 4. The system of 1, wherein: thedata fields are configured to at least partially define the plurality ofattributes of the one or more database records.
 5. The system of claim1, wherein the one or more database records comprises a customerrelationship management (CRM) object, the CRM object being one of: alead, a case, an account, an opportunity, a task, a contact, a campaign,a contract, an event, a custom object, or a Visualforce page.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:defining, based on further input from the first user, a page layout ofthe first selection in the publisher, the page layout of the firstselection representing an arrangement of the first selection relative tothe input area and/or the second selection.
 7. The system of claim 1,the database system further configurable to cause: determining that thefirst user has permission to define or update the custom action.
 8. Thesystem of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:determining, responsive to determining that the first selection has beenselected by the second user, that the second user has permission toperform the custom action.
 9. A method comprising: causing display, on adisplay of a device of a first user of a social networking system, ofone or more fields configured to receive input to define or update acustom action; configuring, based on input via the one or more fieldsfrom the first user, the custom action to be capable of causing one ormore database records to be created or updated in accordance withuser-configurable custom action instructions; causing display, on adisplay of a device of a second user of the social networking system, ofa publisher of the social networking system, the publisher comprising: afirst selection operable to receive the user-configurable custom actioninstructions from the second user, an input area capable of receivingtext, and a second selection operable to cause the text to be shared ina feed of the social networking system as a feed item; obtaining theuser-configurable custom action instructions via the first selection;causing performance, as controlled by the user-configurable customaction instructions, of the custom action to cause the one or moredatabase records to be created or updated to have a plurality ofattributes comprising: a record type specified by the user-configurablecustom action instructions, a reference to a designated database record,the reference specified by the user-configurable custom actioninstructions and indicating a parent or child relationship in a databasehierarchy with the designated database record, and a plurality of datafields pre-populated with a plurality of system-generated values basedon the record type and based on the reference to the designated databaserecord; and causing display, on the display of the device of the seconduser, of an updated feed with the one or more database records havingthe attributes.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein causing performanceof the custom action comprises: accessing, via an applicationprogramming interface (API), content associated with a computingplatform external to the social networking system; and causing displayof, in association with the publisher, the content.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, the method further comprising: processing a request from thesecond user to interact with the content; and generating or modifying,responsive to processing the request, data associated with the computingplatform.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein: the data fields areconfigured to at least partially define the plurality of attributes ofthe one or more database records.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein theone or more database records comprises a customer relationshipmanagement (CRM) object, the CRM object being one of: a lead, a case, anaccount, an opportunity, a task, a contact, a campaign, a contract, anevent, a custom object, or a Visualforce page.
 14. The method of claim9, the method further comprising: defining, based on further input fromthe first user, a page layout of the first selection in the publisher,the page layout of the first selection representing an arrangement ofthe first selection relative to the input area and/or the secondselection.
 15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium storing computer-readable program code capableof being executed by one or more processors, the program code comprisinginstructions configurable to cause: displaying, on a display of a deviceof a first user of a social networking system, one or more fieldsconfigured to receive input to define or update a custom action;configuring, based on input via the one or more fields from the firstuser, the custom action to be capable of causing one or more databaserecords to be created or updated in accordance with user-configurablecustom action instructions; displaying, on a display of a device of asecond user of the social networking system, a publisher of the socialnetworking system, the publisher comprising: a first selection operableto receive the user-configurable custom action instructions from thesecond user, an input area capable of receiving text, and a secondselection operable to cause the text to be shared in a feed of thesocial networking system as a feed item; obtaining the user-configurablecustom action instructions via the first selection; performing, ascontrolled by the user-configurable custom action instructions, thecustom action to cause the one or more database records to be created orupdated to have a plurality of attributes comprising: a record typespecified by the user-configurable custom action instructions, areference to a designated database record, the reference specified bythe user-configurable custom action instructions and indicating a parentor child relationship in a database hierarchy with the designateddatabase record, and a plurality of data fields pre-populated with aplurality of system-generated values based on the record type and basedon the reference to the designated database record; and displaying, onthe display of the device of the second user, an updated feed with theone or more database records having the attributes.
 16. The computerprogram product of claim 15, wherein performing the custom actioncomprises: accessing, via an application programming interface (API),content associated with a computing platform external to the socialnetworking system; and displaying, in association with the publisher,the content.
 17. The computer program product of claim 16, theinstructions configurable to cause: processing a request from the seconduser to interact with the content; and generating or modifying,responsive to processing the request, data associated with the computingplatform.
 18. The computer program product of 15, wherein: the datafields are configured to at least partially define the plurality ofattributes of the one or more database records.
 19. The computer programproduct of claim 15, wherein the one or more database records comprisesa customer relationship management (CRM) object, the CRM object beingone of: a lead, a case, an account, an opportunity, a task, a contact, acampaign, a contract, an event, a custom object, or a Visualforce page.20. The computer program product of claim 15, the instructions furtherconfigurable to cause: defining, based on further input from the firstuser, a page layout of the first selection in the publisher, the pagelayout of the first selection representing an arrangement of the firstselection relative to the input area and/or the second selection.